


Alley Cat

by just_kiss_already_darlings



Series: The Two Cats [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Multi, Slow Burn, and just plain ol editing, chapter 27 now has a link to some art, currently being edited for typos, especially the paps/metta stuff, gender neutral reader, i apologise on their behalf, its definitly a thing tho, just a warning, m just gonna mention that some of the shippy stuff doesnt happen until later on, mostly anti monster and anti magic, post pacifist run, reader character is a human with magic, reader is a witch, since blooks doesn't appear for a lil while, so im sorry about that, there is death but not in a permanent way, theres going to be some pretty heavy discrimination, usually ;), wow this is gon be long
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-30
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-05-04 04:32:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 66,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5320574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_kiss_already_darlings/pseuds/just_kiss_already_darlings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The monsters have been on the surface for little over half a year now, meaning more work for you. Part of you wishes you could be happy about that. In your line of work however, it's difficult to be happy when most of your patrons are monsters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. and so it begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yikes! this is the first fanfic i've written in a long time, probably the last one was that Jaws fanfic we had to write in high school *shudders of regret*. Anyway, this is either going to be really long or i'm going to split it into a few arcs later on. we'll see.

It was early evening and the sun was just about to set over your darkened alley. You were leaning against the wall, lazily examining your nails as you pretended not to notice as a small figure approached, standing only a little straighter as the monster drew near. You steeled yourself for what was about to come, both knowing and not knowing what was going to happen. You knew your duty, but you had no idea that day would be oh so much different to any other day. That day, your future was about to be rewritten.

 

“You're the witch aren't you?” they asked, voice trembling and eyes wide.

 

“I am. What of it?” you made your voice purr in the way that you'd practised for hours on end, just to get the perfect inflection down pat. You'd heard something similar on TV one night and had liked the way it sounded. Bold and just a touch intimidating. Just the image you tried to project.

 

_The witch hides in darkness and shadow, playing death like a game. Everyone knows the stories. An abomination, no human should ever wield magic. Magic was for the monsters. So what did that make you?_

 

_You._

_A witch._

_The witch._

 

Enough with that pretentious shit. Why you’d ever thought of that stupid slogan you had no idea. Yeah sure, you had magic, so did the monsters, not to mention that you were far from the only human with magic! Just because you were human didn't mean you were any different, not really. Even if yours was a rare vein of magic. The small monster in front of you was almost frozen with fear and it occurred to you that it looked very young. Young and terrified.

 

You took a moment to take in their appearance, the yellowish scales covering their small body. They were bipedal, standing up straight on their hind legs with no problems, but you noticed that they didn’t have arms. They also had larger, spike like scales running down their spine tight up to the tip of their tail.

 

“My friend- some humans jumped us and she... they killed her.” oh god, the little thing was shaking like a leaf. “I came straight here! Please, help her! You can do it right? I heard some of the other kids talking, you're the witch that can bring people back! She didn't do anything wrong... we were just playing!” great, now they were crying. You couldn’t deal with crying children. Not from lack of experience, more like you just hated seeing their snot drenched faces and red rimmed, puffy eyes. Kids shouldn’t feel like that, kids shouldn’t have to suffer.

 

You leant down and hugged the kid, holding them close as you muttered “I'll see what I can do. Can you show me where it happened?” they nodded, turning around and dashing off, forcing you into an awkward half run half jog to keep up. You could have gone faster, but you had to let the child in front to show you the way. Every so often your guide would trip and fall flat on their face. Did they always do that or was it because they were scared? Well, so much for your aloof and distant persona. You just wanted to help this frightened child.

 

A few minutes later you found yourself standing at the entrance to a small park, looking down at a tiny pile of dust. The kid hung back, clearly disturbed by what was left of their friend. Or by what you were about to do. Without wasting any more time you crouched down, resting on your haunches. You took a small pinch of the dust between your fingers, inspecting it carefully and ignoring the lump in your throat. It had barely been fifteen minutes since they'd been killed. Your nose scrunched up a little as you closed your eyes and reached into death.

 

It was always strange to feel death, it felt almost liquid, but cold and everywhere all around you, like a layer of ice trying to freeze you from the outside in. Most of the monsters soul was still gathered near place she’d died, clearly reluctant to move away. The rest of the shattered soul had been thrown farther afield. Great, you'd have to summon them all back before you could even think about restoring the soul and the body. Why were souls so complicated? You could feel a faint itch beginning to form between your eyes as you grabbed hold of the closest fragment of the soul, at least you had something decent to work with. Humming tunelessly, you cast out your mind like a net, reeling in any soul fragments you found, before carefully weaving them back together. God, monster souls always took forever to fix. It took your complete focus, despite this being one of the easier ones. Kid's souls were always reluctant to move on, especially when the way they died was violent or traumatic.

 

You'd almost bound all the fragments together when you became aware of a faint entity watching you, not in reality, or in life since death to you was very much real, you'd have been blind to that from where you were, but in death. You brushed it off as another lingering soul, some souls could stay drifting near life for years, decades even. They never usually seemed aware of your presence though. No use in dwelling on it.

 

One small mercy was that the dust was all together still, not having been blown or kicked far away. This meant that the body itself started to re-form the moment the last piece of the soul had been bound, you just had to hold it together until the body was whole enough to accept it. That was easier said than done, as fragments of the soul often tried to break away from the rest. It was always worse the longer the creature had been dead. You offered a silent thank you to the friend who'd run straight to you when this monster, a rabbit as you could now tell, had been killed. Another thing that had taken some practice. Timing. You had to know exactly when to release the soul into the body. Too early and it would shatter, too late and you risked your soul. Yeah, no wonder people were afraid of what you could do. It was a miracle you hadn't gotten yourself killed.

 

Speaking of the dead, you could feel the soul pulsing softly in your grasp, almost like you were holding a beating heart, but one that was made purely of energy, the very culmination of a being, not flesh and blood like an actual heart. You waited only a fraction of a second longer before you released it, snapping back from death as you followed the soul and found your way back to the real world. You were just in time to watch the rabbit as she took her first shaky breath. It had worked. The monster was alive again.

 

The kid who'd brought you here ran past you in a blur, almost knocking the rabbit clean over as they threw themselves at their friend and started crying all over again. It was fully dark now. You always lost track of time when you were dealing with death. You couldn't just leave a couple of kids out alone at night, especially since those louts who'd straight up murdered one of them were probably still hanging around out of sight. You hoped for everyone's sake that they'd stay out of sight. Maybe that was just you being paranoid, but it was still a chance you were reluctant to take.

 

“Hey kids,” both the sobbing monster children turned to look at you. You were pleased to note that they looked at you with none of the fear or suspicion that you were used to. “It's late. I'll walk you back home.” You'd lost any semblance of your aloof persona by now, no use trying to keep it up when it wasn’t needed. You were weak against kids and you darn well knew exactly who was to blame for that unfortunate weakness. “you two go on ahead, I don’t know the way.”

 

You thought it was cute how the kids wouldn't leave each other’s side as you followed wordlessly behind. Trying to pretend you weren't exhausted was difficult to say the least, magic was exhausting. That was a known fact, the bigger and more difficult the magic was, the more tiring for the user. You were happy to note that you knew where you were, sometimes people led you to unfamiliar areas and you'd get lost. Always fun for a witch with a poor sense of direction to be spending the night on foreign turf. No danger

 

You hung back when the pair eventually turned and ran up a driveway, both spun round at the last moment and waved (or bobbed up and down as the armless one did, since, y'know, they had no arms to wave with… they got the message across well enough). The rabbit girl knocked on the door. You were happy, no, you were elated that this had gone well, the monster killers weren't to be seen anywhere and you'd managed to bring the girl back without incident. You didn’t know exactly what had happened other than what the little yellow monster had told you and it wasn’t your place to pry, but it didn’t take a genius to figure it out.

 

It only took a few seconds for the door to be flung open and two more figures to appear in the light of the doorway. The first was an older, rabbit, its face contorted with worry, the picture of a frightened and anxious parent. The second was smaller, another child. They looked more human than monster, but from where you were standing you could only see a vague silhouette. You didn't get a good look at them until they ran out to throw themselves at the two kids. Your heart turned to ice as they turned and looked straight at you, there was only a brief moment where your eyes locked before you turned on your heel and ran.

 

Dammit, why now?

 

You'd know that striped jumper anywhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yup! the first chapter was basically an introduction to how your magic works. wanna see my skeleton (hehe) notes for the chapters? well, you're gonna!  
> chapter 1:  
> hey lil guy wat u want  
> my friend is dead here are dust  
> damn thatta monster  
> it okay it been like five minutes  
> I got dis  
> it good  
> scram  
> yoooooo  
> nope im outie
> 
> yep, its true, i'm a creative genius. who need the whole story when you can just read the notes?


	2. late night talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can't sleep and monsters suck at timekeeping. At least you get to spend some quality time with Toriel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowie, another chapter! can i keep up this pace? absolutely not! am i going to try? You betcha! i might write a quick reprisal from the monsters POV since there are a couple of things that don't quite add up from what i've got down here. As it is i've rewritten this chapter twice already so i'm just gonna work with what's here

You were sat awake under the stars as the hours passed you by, your earlier fatigue almost forgotten. That had been them back there at the house, you were sure of it. That was the kid. Frisk. Your Frisk. No, that wasn't quite true. Not anymore. Frisk had a new home now, they were the Monster Ambassador! You hadn't ever really expected to see them again, and seeing them in the flesh had spooked you more than you were willing to admit. Was it guilt that you were feeling? Regret? You couldn't quite pinpoint your exact emotions, but you felt undeniably bad. By now there was hardly a human or monster on Earth who didn't know the Ambassadors story. You'd cried when you first heard, or you'd felt like it at least. How long had it been since the monsters reached the surface? Six, seven months? By then you'd practically written the kid off. They were gone from your life, you'd accepted that. Still, seeing them again had been pretty frightening.

 

You'd been thinking in circles for ages, in fact a faint glow was starting to slowly creep its way across your vision, was it really morning already? Your body clock told you it was still too early for sunrise, maybe you were more tired than you'd thought. Normally you were good with timekeeping, a habit ingrained in you for years already.

 

Wait.

 

If this was daybreak...

 

why was everything glowing and.... blue?

 

Too late your exhausted mind caught up with what was happening. You were the one glowing a fierce cobalt. In fact, you were glowing, blue and levitating half a foot off the ground. Huh, figured. You hadn't even noticed yourself being picked up. You'd have to put more faith in your body clock next time, since clearly it was your self-awareness that was faulty. The crackling buzz of magic was thick in the air, even if you weren’t engulfed in it you should have felt it a mile away.

 

It occurred to you somewhere in the back of your mind that you should be more concerned about the fact that you were being suspended by some sort of blue magic. Instead, you just felt an odd sense of detachedness, like you were an outside observer outside of your own body. You felt yourself begin to move, pulled towards a very angry looking skeleton. When you were just inches away from its, his, face you stopped glowing completely. You took in his appearance, a thick blue winter coat, shorts and a glowing blue light where his left iris should be.

 

At least you’d managed not to land flat on your behind, even if you did stumble backwards a step or two trying to stay upright.

 

“Oh buddy, have I got a bone to pick with you,” okay, was that a pun? How the hell did he make a pun sound so terrifying? Oh yeah, he was a skeleton, that would do it. “come with me pal.”

 

Sure, lets follow the angry magic monster man to who knows where. Not like you had much of a choice.

 

You followed a few steps behind him as he turned and leisurely walked away, following the skeleton down darkened streets. For the second time that day you wound your way through neighbourhoods, the walk seeming a lot shorter than it had earlier. Oh great. He was even taking you to the same street. It was a different house though, a scant few doors down from where you'd been earlier.

 

He led you to the door of a fairly large two story house, you were filled with an odd sense of… determination. You were a witch, a powerful sorcerer who was fully capable of making an escape if needs be. Whatever was about to happen, you could deal with it. You hoped that wasn't just bravado talking.

 

“Sans! Is that them? I was getting worried! You've been gone for hours and it's so dark!” You knew this monster. Toriel, the queen of the monsters back in the underground, though now she also looked after the young ambassador. She was a large, bipedal goat type monster. Or cow. You weren't quite sure, but she was certainly pretty whatever she was.

 

“Yeah Tori, it's them alright.” What were you even doing here? The queen’s expression hardened when she caught your eyes and she opened her mouth as if to say something else when a familiar figure appeared in the hallway behind her.

 

“Mom? Sans? What's-” whatever Frisk was going to say was cut short as they spotted you. They whimpered, moving to hide themselves behind Toriel. You'd take being launched down the stairs over the look you were getting from her now.

 

You were a young and mortal human, standing before an ageless and powerful boss monster who could likely tear you apart without a second thought if the mood took her.

 

“I... F-Frisk?” wow, great going. Big scary witch you were, stuttering in front of the queen of monsters and a scary skeleton man. You were a real train wreck today. You pretended like you weren't about to cry.

 

Slowly, after a tense moment of silence, the kid poked their head out. You were acutely aware of the hostile looks you were getting from the monsters. Frisks face looked puffy and swollen, had they been crying? Was it because of what happened earlier or... oh. It dawned on you that they might even have been crying over you.

 

“It's you.” their voice was a breathy whisper. The kid never used to talk much. You could practically feel your own heart melting into a puddle of mush, not trusting your voice anymore, you nodded. You could definitely feel when the kid slammed themselves into you in a crushing hug. Oh no. they were crying again. You hesitated for a moment before returning the child's warm, if slightly damp embrace. They were muttering something repeatedly under their breath. It sounded like ‘sorry’.

 

You weren't sure how much time had passed before you untangled yourself from the kid, but when you looked up you saw that sans had disappeared and Toriel was watching the two of you with a concerned expression, no longer the frightening figure of just a few short moments ago. She motioned for the child to go back to bed before turning back to face you.

 

“I think we need to talk.”

 

Well, you didn't think Mr bone man brought you here just for a hug with the kid.

 

“Sure.”

 

Without another word she led you through into her kitchen and you both sat at the dining table. It was a nice looking place, much better than anything you were used to. You did wonder at some of the faint scorch marks on the walls though. You pulled your attention back to the queen, who was sat opposite you with something akin to a stern expression. You assumed Sans had followed Frisk, though you couldn't recall actually seeing him move.

 

“Earlier today there was an... incident involving two monster children.” oh boy, you’d wondered where she was going with this. “Although the children are yet to tell us the full details, it is my understanding that you were involved in returning them to their home safely.”

 

“Yeah, it was pretty dark out so I walked them back.” There was no use in denying that part of what had happened. You supposed that the kids were too shaken up to tell the full story so soon, you honestly couldn't blame them.

 

“I also understand that you have some previous association with Frisk.” her brow furrowed a little and her darkened crimson eyes shone in the artificial light. “At first I was rather worried, they were quite upset when they returned home, however after seeing what happened when you came here,” she paused again, looking at you severely “I must admit, I find myself with even more questions. But I must thank you for your actions today.”

 

You'd been considering how to reply to her words when the real exhaustion hit you. You hadn't slept at all that night and you'd used a lot of energy on the magic involved in bringing back the rabbit monster. Toriel must have noticed your fatigue, as her eyes darted towards a clock hanging on the wall to your left. It was almost 3am.

 

“Goodness me, I'm sorry. It's gotten so late! Would you be able to return here in the morning to talk more? I'm sure Frisk would like to see you again.” had she really not known how late it was? She must have done, hadn't Frisk been sent to bed? Maybe being underground for so long had messed with the monsters more than they let on. Either way, this was your queue to leave. You made as if to excuse yourself when Sans spoke from the doorway where he’d been hiding.

 

“It's a long walk back, why don't we let them stay the night Tori?”

 

After a brief discussion which you took little part in, you found yourself being led up the stairs and into one of the guest bedrooms. Just outside the door Sans stopped you. He gave you an appraising look before exhaling and rubbing at the back of his neck and looking away sheepishly.

“Sorry if I rattled your bones earlier pal. We were pretty desperate to find you once Frisk told us what happened earlier, spent half the night out looking for you.” his easy smile seemed more strained and his voice lowered as he continued “They didn't mention you were a witch.”

 

Your heart practically dropped out of your chest. If Frisk didn't tell him, you were a witch then how did he know? None of the other monsters you'd encountered had known outright what you were. Only where to find you.

 

“Would you rather I left?” you hadn't meant for your voice to sound so cold, but you could feel a tendril of fear start to wrap itself round your throat. You’d just been offered a chance at fixing something that had been broken, you wanted to at least try.

 

“If Frisk trusts you then so do I. They're a good kid, don't have a bad bone in their body.” the atmosphere lightened some as he winked and turned away from you, leaving you to settle down and get some sleep for what was left of the night. At least you had a soft bed to sleep in.

 

Today had been strange. Not exactly all that bad, but strange.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 2:  
> oh hello mr monster the hell is u  
> oh uh  
> okay  
> quality time w/ goat lady  
> nice  
> omg u two are cute  
> I ship soriel  
> its canon  
> in my fic at least lmao
> 
> and my genius lives on! i'll probably try and make the plot move on pretty quickly after the monsters chapter. Fear not! Frisks relationship with our dear reader will also be explained soon. did i mention that i think this reader is the type that gets sarcastic when they're nervous? i can't see that causing them any trouble at all ;)


	3. the other side of the story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the day had started off as normal for Sans and the other monsters, who knew the day would be so eventful?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What happened in chapter 2 from the monsters (specifically Sans) perspective, hopefully this fills in any gaps from the last chapter (like why reader was found so late) if not feel free to ask and i'll go back and edit or make sure to include it later on!

Sans had spent most of the day at work, having found several low maintenance part-time jobs on the surface, running local hot dog stands and other such menial tasks. At first he'd been surprised at how similar the Outside world was to Old Home (Previously known as Home or the Underground). Some days when business was slow he found himself pretending that he was back in the underground, he often missed it there. Life had been easier, less hassle. Less busy. Not that he hated the surface, but it left a lot to be desired.

 

After work he'd returned home to find Toriel and Frisk together on the sofa, his permanent smile softened at the sight. That was right up until Frisk twisted round to face him. They' were obviously upset. He could see that their face was still damp with that gross mucus stuff and tears. He stood there for a moment in confusion, last he'd heard Frisk was spending the day with some of his old rabbit neighbours from Snowdin (and now the surface too) and the monster kid. What had happened to make Frisk hurt like this? They had almost never cried the whole time he'd known them.

 

He walked closer to them, placing a bony hand on Frisks shoulder, part protective and part concerned, the other hand coming to rest lightly on Toriels back.

 

“Hey kiddo, what's the matter, were ya getting too bone-ly without me?” They opened their mouth as if to answer and started shaking instead, fresh tears welling up. He looked towards Toriel, seeing his own concern echoed on her graceful features. “You want some hot chocolate?” the kid sniffled, retracting a thread of snot that threatened to slip down their face and nodded almost happily. Humans were gross sometimes. Cute, but gross.

 

He made a quick detour to grab a blanket, throwing it over the kid and leaving Tori to tuck it snugly around them while he started on making the cocoa. She always knew how to tuck Frisk in just right, while he always 'accidentally' made them resemble a tightly wrapped burrito. The burrito look really suited the kid, especially the way they always giggled and tried to squirm free. He got the impression now wasn't the time for that game, so he left it to the expert.

 

It wasn't long before Tori joined him in the kitchen, pulling him into a tight hug.

 

“I don't know what to do Sans.” she looked down at him with her large, sad eyes. She sounded so upset and worried, it would have broken his heart, well, if he had one. Toriel quietly began to explain what little she knew. That Frisk had come back late from their friends’ house in tears. They'd been waiting for two of their friends to come back from the shops so they could play, how they'd patiently waited almost three hours before they eventually came back. They'd been worried for their friends, knowing the world wasn't always a safe place, especially not for two young monsters, but the shops were only a few minutes’ walk away. She paused, as if checking that Sans was still listening, before continuing the story. “The children were just coming out of the shops, little MK told Frisk that they had been playing around a little when they heard shouting. They ran away but the humans who'd shouted chased them all the way to the park out by the town border. They wouldn't say exactly what happened but they were terrified. Someone found them after and walked them home. Oh Sans dear, what would we have done if they'd been hurt!” she rested her head on his, distressed. That would have been a bad time for everyone.

 

He stood, silent something telling him that the story wasn't quite all there. It was a lot to take in, attacks on their kind were rare but deadly. That there had been an attack so close to home was disturbing to say the least. Toriel didn't say anything else other than “Frisk should tell you the rest themselves, I'm afraid that I don't entirely understand it.” they broke apart, finishing up three cups of cocoa he expertly plopped a handful of mini marshmallows and a squirt of whipped cream to each (not forgetting a dash of cinnamon, the kids favourite, though butterscotch was a close second) before handing one to Toriel and taking the other two though to where Frisk was.

 

Sans waited until they'd finished their drink before asking them about what'd happened. They carried on staring at their lap like it held the secrets of the universe for a long moment and he thought that he might not get an answer, but then they finally looked up and met his eyes. If he didn’t know them as well as they did, he might have missed the haunted expression he found there. When they started talking, he took in every word, they started off slow but picked up pace after the first few words.

 

“I heard you and Mom talking. The one who brought them home, I saw them.” they looked back at their lap but carried on talking when Toriel placed a comforting paw on their shoulder. “I knew them too. Before I went to Mt Ebbot.” He felt himself stiffen, feeling a prickle of uncertainty. Frisk never talked about their life before meeting the monsters, not even when pressed by their friends and family. They’d wanted to leave the past behind them, a sentiment that he could relate to all too well. “I never thought I'd see them again.” they muttered quietly. The kid was hunched in on themselves, curled up around the empty mug like a lifeline.

 

“My child, perhaps you would like to talk more about this other human?” She shot a knowing glance at him, his feeling of unease didn't leave though, even as Frisk fondly described them with a superficial description, hardly touching on exactly how they knew them, more on what they looked like and what they'd been wearing. It was odd but he was reluctant to push the kid too far. Frisk was an excellent judge of character, they could tell exactly what somebody was really like within minutes of meeting them, hell, that was how they’d survived the underground. That they weren’t saying anything substantial about this other human wasn’t an accident. They finished talking just in time for their bath and bed at eight, just in time for Sans to slip unnoticed out the door, taking a shortcut to the park Tori had mentioned earlier.

 

It was nearly midnight by the time Sans was willing to throw in the towel. He hadn't found the stranger, not today. He decided to walk most of the way back without taking a shortcut to work off some of his frustration at not finding the human. He was careful to stay away from most people, not forgetting what had allegedly happened earlier that day. He skirted round alleyways and darkened streets, some didn't even have street lamps. It was easier not to be spotted in the darkness.

 

He stopped abruptly at the entrance to an alley when he felt a lurching in his bones. A quiet feeling of inexplicable rage welled up as he slowly stretched his hand out towards the figure sat propped lazily against the wall. He could sense magic in them and it felt nothing but wrong. It felt like something dark, leaving a bitter, coppery sensation in his skull. He enveloped the figure with his own magic, slowly in case they fought back. If they noticed him doing it, they didn't show it. He lifted them from the ground with a twitch of a finger and felt them finally begin to struggle as he reeled them in, neither knowing nor understanding his own intentions. Stopping short only when he was hit with a sudden realisation. This was the human Frisk had been describing. They matched the description perfectly down to the last letter. That Frisk had described them in such perfect detail after only seeing them for a few seconds…

 

This probably wasn’t the first time that this had happened.

 

He hastily released them, feeling at a loss for a brief, terrifying moment. He hadn't really known what he was going to do, maybe make them march into New Home and apologise for existing? He doubted that, but the anger had passed and so had his initial disgust at the magic. He had no idea why he’d reacted like that, some instinctual reflex that made _him, maybe the most restrained guy above or below ground_ lash out at them without thinking.

 

He promptly decided that if he let them go they might just slip into hiding, hell, they looked almost afraid enough to bolt there and then once they’d stopped staring either blankly at the ground or straight at him. They'd have to come back with him. He wondered if any of the other monsters would feel the same sense wrongness from them, though he doubted it. He had a knack for sensing things others couldn't, with only some foggy memories from a long, long time ago to provide any explanation as to why.

 

“Oh buddy, have I got a bone to pick with you”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh wow this is almost as long as the other full chapters! this is the last thing i'll post today, no promises but hopefully the next chapter wont be too long! the ships are gonna sail folks! also how do you feel about chapters centered around the other characters? there's a lot of fluff in this fic considering the reader dabbles in death so much... i should do something about that ;)  
> and here, the ritual skelenotes:  
> wow I suck at making sense  
> no change there  
> guess this is gonna be from sans' pov then  
> since he just straight up attacked poor reader  
> honestly sans control yourself  
> u scared the poor witch  
> jeez


	4. Breakfast as Toriels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader has a fun time, puns are flying, fluff abounds

You woke up around 9am with something soft and feather-like tickling your chin, looking down you realised it had been a strand of brown hair belonging to a certain child who had at some point snuck in and fallen asleep nestled into your side. You were still tired, despite all eight hours uninterrupted sleep but you felt much more refreshed.

 

Now that it was morning and you were better rested you had time to properly take in your surroundings. The room was cute, decorated in a light but tasteful pastel yellow. There was a square window looking out to the street, across from the bed. This being a guest room, there wasn't much else other than a few generic, but fitting, pictures on the wall.

 

You attempted to wriggle free of the child's grasp, failing since they held you like a vice and only snuggled in closer the more you tried to pry yourself away. You eventually decided you'd wait for Frisk to wake up or for someone to come and rescue you. You hoped someone would come rescue you. They didn’t look like they were about to move and you’d just feel bad if you woke them up just to get them to move.

 

For the moment you decided to enjoy the soft warmth of the sleeping child curled around you. Had it really only been little over half a year since you'd last seen them? Looking down at them, you were hit with the realisation of how much you'd really missed them. It was something that you’d pushed to the very back of your mind once you’d finally realised that they probably weren’t coming back for a while at least, emotions that you’d then forced away completely when it had sunk in that they weren’t coming back at all. They'd once been such an important part of your life before you messed that up. A gentle knock at the door startled out of your stupor before you could sink too deep into your memories.

 

“Is Frisk in there with you? It's almost time for their breakfast”

 

You made a noise to the affirmative and Toriel quietly opened the door. She smiled when she saw Frisk, possibly the happiest you’d seen her yet. You weren't sure you'd ever get used to how expressive monsters were, it was endearing in a way, much better than the scowls and glares of your own kind. You smiled right back at her and tried again to shake Frisk awake. “Breakfast will be ready soon.” you muttered into their ear, hoping that the promise of food would rouse them. When that didn't work Toriel, who you decided right then and there was an angel sent from the heavens (or from under the nearest mountain), swooped in and scooped up her unconscious kid. Throwing a grateful smile her way you slipped out from under the covers and shuffled after her. Stopping dead in your tracks when you saw the collection of monsters squashed around the table. As well as Sans and Toriel there was another taller skeleton, whose wardrobe choices seemed even more dubious than the others, a small yellow reptilian woman in a lab coat and the two children from yesterday, who were both sharing a chair, openly staring at you.

“WHEN I HEARD THAT A FRIEND OF THE HUMANS WAS STAYING AT MY BROTHERS AND TORIELS HOME I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAD TO COME AND INTRODUCE MYSELF!” you nodded mutely back at him, deciding that nothing these people could do would surprise you anymore.

 

“Y-yeah,” the yellow reptile spoke up “Frisk never talks much about before...” you felt guilty for a moment before she continued “I'm Alphys, n-nice to meet you”

 

You made your introductions and sat next to the now very much awake Frisk, the only other free spot being next to Sans. You wouldn’t exactly say you were frightened of him, just cautious. Speaking of Sans, he glanced at his brother and grinned back at you, a twinkle in his eye that spelled nothing but trouble.

 

“Hey buddy, you two really slept like the dead, huh.” you were awake enough now to fully appreciate his terrible puns, they really were awful. Any guy who could pun at you before he attempted to practically kidnap you at midnight just had to have a whole armada of terrible puns, it just made sense.

 

“SANS! NO!” Papyrus groaned.

 

“Sorry bro, didn't mean to rattle your bones.” He winked at Toriel as she walked in, arms laden with food. Your jaw dropped at how much food she'd prepared. You hadn’t seen that much food in _years_.

 

“Oh Sans, stop _ribbing_ your brother.” Toriel cut in. Was this really happening? This was happening. It was great. You tried to keep your face neutral. Your life had just done a 180 because of these pun loving monsters, no wonder why Frisk had busted them out of mountain jail.

 

“NOOO, NOT YOU TOO!” with this Papyrus slammed his head into his hands in defeat, you resisted the urge to add to the fiasco. On second thought, Screw it.

 

“Hey, I thought they were being pretty humerus. Honestly, this is just magical.” you aimed for a deadpan.

  
All eyes turned on you. Some were filled with undisguised horror, others with barely restrained glee.

 

“I get it! Magical! Because you're a witch right?!” The armless kid, (MK?) piped up. Wow, was it cold in here or was that just the atmosphere? Frisk broke the awkward silence, giggling adorably. Slowly, the others joined in, until everyone was laughing along.

 

“Didn't know you had the _guts_ to make such awful puns.” Sans added, making Toriel break down into deep bleating chortles. This was definitely the best way anyone had ever taken to finding out about your magic. You weren't about to complain.

 

“Hey, I just know the _bare bones_. You guys _flesh out_ these puns much better than I do.”

 

Papyrus had sunk under the table, covering the ears he didn't have with his skeletal hands.

 

Once the laughter (and groaning) had died down you all began attacking the mountain of food. You were starving, wolfing down whatever you had in front of you, sure it earned you a few odd looks but the food was just so good! Frisk wasn’t much better than you were anyway. The low hum of voices was something new to you. It was nice, easy to relax around. You realised that you felt safe.

 

“S-so, uh... How do you know Frisk?” Alphys asked politely, the way they all stopped to listen showed you that it had been something that had been on everyone's mind. The metaphorical elephant in the room, if you will.

 

Casting a quick glance to Frisk to make sure they were fine with you talking about it since they obviously hadn’t chosen to share their past themselves before and getting a small nod of acceptance in return, you started talking.

 

“I used to look after them. I was only sixteen when we met, what were you, nine?” They nodded happily, probably remembering old times. You knew you were. “Kid didn't stay all the time, did you? Not at first anyway. We were friends.” you were smiling giddily, a combination of the company and the good food softening you. You grinned at the relieved looks on the older monsters faces. “What, did you think I was their parent or something?” you found the though hilarious yourself but you got the impression the monsters had been genuinely concerned. They did age differently to humans, though the thought of having a child at only seven years old was a strange one to your delicate human sensibilities.

 

“We were wondering how you knew Frisk, it is nice to know more about their past.” Toriel smiled, looking fondly down at Frisk. You picked up the cup Toriel had passed you, taking in the pleasant aroma of some kind of monster tea. You noticed that the younger monsters were looking at you with a strangely reverent gleam in their eyes.

 

“Can we call you boss?” You almost choked on your tea in shock. Why boss of all things?

 

“S-sure...?”

 

“Does that mean you'll come back?” Frisks eyes were round and imploring. How could you ever say no to a face that cute?

 

“Of course they will kiddo.” Sans, his voice was firm. You nodded your consent, a little irked that Sans had spoken for you but choosing not to mention it. You winked at Frisk and ruffled their hair playfully, solidifying it into a promise.

 

Alphys was the first to leave, saying something about visiting her girlfriend on her lunch break, followed soon after by Papyrus, who left loudly (you'd realised pretty quickly that loud was his default setting). Soon it was just you, Frisk and Toriel. It was time for you to go, you didn’t want to interfere with whatever plans that the family had.

 

“You are always welcome here,” Her eyes, dark and shining considered you for a moment “while you're here, how old are you?”

 

“Uh, I'm almost nineteen.”

 

“You seem older.” She almost looked sad at that, her face softening like she genuinely hadn’t expected you to be so young.

 

You couldn't help but laugh, of course you seemed older, how many nineteen year-olds had been through what you’d been through? It wasn’t a cruel laugh though, you weren’t bitter, you’d just found what she’d said genuinely funny. Your face was starting to hurt from all the laughing and smiling.

 

“I get that a lot.”

 

You said your goodbyes, Toriel completely surprising you by pulling you into a tight hug and Frisk joining in gleefully. You felt warm on the inside. It had been a long time since you'd felt this happy, since you’d felt anything but cold.

 

You heard her call out after you;

“We're having lunch with everyone here next Saturday! We would like it if you could join us!” We. She'd said we. Not just her, _we_. You waved a hand in acknowledgement, already looking forward to it.

 

You walked the whole way back with a smile on your face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no more now until the weekend, i have an essay to rewrite (it got deleted by mistake, ugh). wow i'm glad reader's starting to come out of their shell, lets hope nothing goes wrong ;)
> 
> skelenotes:  
> puns galore  
> my time to shine  
> because im punny  
> oh wow gotta go back to my... house


	5. You didn't notice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes things aren't fair

Timekeeping had become something of an obsession for you. Given how important timing was for what you did it was hardly surprising. After all, time was a very important factor in whether or not you'd be able to bring a soul back or not. As the next few days passed slowly by, you started to get impatient. You wished you could make time go faster, or skip straight to Saturday. You'd only been called on to revive a few pets here and there, nothing as drastic as a human or a monster soul. Truth be told, you were glad that you weren’t needed for anything big. You busied yourself instead with drawing in a tatty old notebook, going for walks or other mundane tasks, since you didn't have a job to take up your time. After all, it was very difficult to get a job without an address or a mobile. Being a witch too only added an extra level of difficulty.

 

Finally, after what seemed like forever, it was Friday night. Just a scant few hours before the meal you’d been invited to by Toriel. You were practically buzzing with excitement as you tried to decide what you were going to wear from your, admittedly limited, selection of clothing. You wondered what Toriel and the other monsters would think of your living arrangement. You didn't think that they'd approve and you didn't plan on telling them as long as you could help it. They’d find out eventually, people always did.

 

The alley was sheltered and tucked away in a quiet part of town, but at the end of the day, it was still an alley. The location wasn't too great either, people round here were particularly... apathetic. This area of town wasn't far from the most active hotspots for attacks on monsters, good for getting places quickly, not so good for someone just as likely to be targeted as half the lives you saved. None of the residents would ever report anything unless it affected them some way, hell, someone could be dying on their doorstep and they'd just step over the body. You shuddered at the thought that anyone could care so little. You wouldn't want to admit it to anyone else but that was why you'd chosen this place, what were a few sleepless nights compared to saving the lives of innocent monsters? A good portion of your self-preservation had packed up and gone fishing years ago, you hadn’t seen it since.

 

Getting back to thinking about what to wear, you rifled through your scant belongings. You'd just decided on a neutral choice of a dark purple shirt and your favourite pair of jeans, tucking them neatly into your backpack for easy access, when there was a noise from close behind you.

 

Of course, you were used to the noises of the night, the sound of cars and people, the sounds that various urban fauna made as they went about their lives, but this noise wasn’t something from the fluctuating hum of life that you were adjusted to. It was a distinctly human noise, like a heavy footstep from a thick soled boot on the hard ground of your chosen abode

 

You spun round as quickly as you dared, ready to defend yourself or make a break for it, only to be pushed roughly back against the brick wall. The irregular pattern of the brickwork bit into your skin, cutting and stinging you even through your clothes, the small but insistent pulse of pain snapped you out of any momentary shock you may have felt just a moment prior. You tried to struggle against the hold, to fight back, to do anything to get away from what your every instinct screamed was a terrible situation, but stopped as something shiny and silver caught your eye. Shit. This was a bad place to be in. Your assailant was armed and stronger than you were. You hadn't even noticed them approaching. You’d been too busy thinking about the next day.

 

The moonlight just about illuminated the man in front of you. You knew him, had seen him before and knew instantly that you were totally and utterly screwed. He'd once lured you out, claiming he wanted you to bring back his little boys pet dog, but it'd just been a setup. It happened sometimes. The wrong person would find you, someone who hated magic and wanted you gone, not caring about you or the people you helped. Someone who hated you just for daring to exist. This one had tried to beat you before but you'd escaped, grabbing your stuff quickly and lying low for days after, calling in favours to get by. This time he'd trapped you and there was no way out in sight.

 

“No escape this time, you filthy witch shit!” He hissed at you, as if reading your mind. Maybe he’d seen your eyes flickering in every which way as you assessed your situation, or maybe it had just been that obvious to where your mind had wandered, you didn’t much care either way. His breath smelled rancid, like death and decay. His eyes were wide and crazed. This was the second time in a matter of days that you'd been attacked, though you already knew that this guy had totally different intentions than the last. You couldn't help but remember when Sans had dragged you around with that weird blue glow, you'd felt a tugging on your soul and your body had moved with it, unable to be separated while you were still alive. Only monsters could force a soul to project itself from the hosts body, but even so, the memory gave you an idea. It was a stupid, reckless idea but you didn’t see any other way.

 

You focused hard, trying to ignore the stream of obscenities and the pressure from where he was pinning you. Stepping into death was, in a way, like putting on a coat, what you were doing was the equivalent of putting one arm through a sleeve, not quite wearing it and not quite not. That’s what you felt like you were doing, you weren’t quite in death, but your consciousness wasn’t entirely in life either, instead you were straddling the middle ground, channelling your energy as you would in death into life. It wasn’t entirely new ground, but new enough that you were taking a huge risk, you had no idea how much energy it would take, nor were you entirely certain of what you were doing.

 

You looked into him and saw his soul, looking at a living creature through deaths eyes. It was an ugly thing, a dark, mottled red in colour. You reached out to it with mind and body, not entirely sure of yourself but acting quickly all the same. You wrapped your own consciousness around his soul, pushing down the queasiness you got from touching such an ugly thing. Before he had a chance to realise what you were doing you pushed hard against his soul with almost everything you had, watching as he fell backwards in shock. Not quite what you’d been hoping for but an opportunity to escape nonetheless.

 

You dived away, lunging for your gear. Your backpack held almost everything you owned, you weren’t about to abandon it when you knew you wouldn’t be coming back. You figured that you’d bought yourself enough time to do that much at least. Casting a silent thanks that you hadn't unpacked the bag ready for sleeping.

 

He'd reached out to grab you as you started to run, his hand brushing your arm. Heavy footsteps crashed down behind you, fear of being caught driving you to run faster. Screw this guy. How dare he come after you? What the hell had you done other than exist? That asshole had a rotten soul! Shouldn't he be the one everyone hated not you? You fuelled you anger

 

You were trying to run somewhere that you could hide, doubting that you could run far and fast enough to lose him completely, but it was difficult to navigate when you were running for your life. Before long your feet were carrying you away from wherever he was. He was still chasing you, his feet pounding at the ground out of time with your own footfalls, a steady rhythm that spelled your impending doom. You didn't know how long you'd been running for, your legs were burning and were screaming at you to stop, each breath coming breath sharp and painful. That pain was nothing compared to what he would do to you if you let him catch you. He showed no signs of slowing down at all, just as determined to catch you as you were to get away.

 

Almost in slow motion you felt your leg give out beneath you, after running so far so quickly, your body started to give out on you, sending you sprawling on your front. Crying out in pain and fear, you tried to scramble back to your feet, only for your right ankle to twist and send you back on down all fours. You heard him slow when he realised you couldn't get away any more. There was nothing you could do to get away now.

 

You heard him laughing, a wild, crazed sort of sound that wouldn’t let you forget for even one moment exactly how screwed you were. It was the type of sound that would haunt your nightmares for years to come, if you even survived this encounter.

 

Once he finally caught up to you he almost lazily kicked you forwards and crouched above you, a knee pressing heavily into the small of your back. A sliver of ice ran down your spine as you felt his weight shift above you. He was in no hurry, not now he knew you couldn’t get away. As far as he was concerned, he had all the time in the world and he was making sure that you knew it too.

 

You cried out desperately for help, your voice shaky and sobs racking your tired body. You knew it was hopeless, but you had to try. You were fighting against the oppressive weight of the man’s body, hoping against hope that a miracle would happen and you’d be spared.

 

How was this happening? You were always so careful!

 

He shifted his weight a little the bone of his kneecap digging harshly into your spine and hissed for you to shut up. Your lower body was starting to tingle from lack of circulation. You tried one more time to call out, but all you could manage was a weak mewling.

 

You just needed someone, anyone to hear you, to listen. It would only take one person stepping in and helping and you could be Saved.

 

But nobody came.

 

The knife you’d spotted before you’d started running plunged into your unprotected back. Over and over again it pierced you. The man with the filthy rotten soul laughed as he hurt you. Static blurred your vision and you started to scream in earnest, the pain lending you your voice new strength. Louder than you believed possible, the more you screamed the more he seemed to laugh, enjoying your pain. You were too weak now to even think about using your magic. Blood, your blood, pooled around you. He seemed to enjoy the sight of it. You knew it should be warm, but you felt nothing but cold.

 

The static started to dim, this was it. Game over. You were going to die.

 

...

 

No.              

 

you had to keep fighting.

 

What was it the kid always said?

...

You couldn't remember.

...

Everything hurt.

…

You were too far gone.

…

You didn’t want to hurt anymore.

…

 

 

 

His weight was suddenly thrown from you, though you were too far gone to notice. Gentle arms wrapped around you, a soft warmth emanating from the protective cradle as you were carried away from where you’d lain. You didn't notice. You didn't see when magical flames and bones roared towards the crazed man, a cage of bones trapping his unconscious form in place, waiting for judgement.

 

You didn't notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am sorry  
> skelenotes:  
> surprise my house is an alley  
> probably not a surprise tho  
> i mean,we live here  
> oh hello mr dude I kno u  
> oh well okay  
> free knife  
> its stuck tho  
> in me  
> the knife is in me  
> I have been stabbed


	6. What came before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You remember how you first met Frisk and some of the time you spent together, how could you have ever let it end?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS 4AM AND MY PROOFREADER/AWESOME BUDDY HASN'T CHECKED THIS YET CAUSE I WASN'T GOING TO POST IT FOR MAYBE 12 HOURS BUT I'VE FINISHED THE NEXT CHAPTER AND MADE SOME THINGS FOR LATER OR MAYBE SEPARATE USE SO TAKE THIS AS IS FOR NOW!!! *i may edit somethings since y'know... 4am rn*
> 
> edit: 06/06/16   
> lmao yh my sleeping patterns still suck. Not even a pattern really, just a messy jumble of whatever

You were lounging around in your alley as per the usual the first time you met Frisk. It wasn't the same alley as you’d later find yourself in since you made a habit of moving around every so often, for your own safety if nothing else. It was a little safer for you back then, people were more afraid of witches like you. The arrival of monsters would later stir already brewing tensions.

 

The kid had come flying down the narrow path like a bullet, eyes wide and frantic. They hadn't noticed you at first, though they slowed to an abrupt halt when they did. You’d expected them to turn around and run straight back the way they came, but they just trotted right up to you, tugging on your shirt and looking up at you with what could only be described as puppy eyes. Their tiny little hands were trembling and the way they held themselves made them look smaller than they really were. They were kind of cute. You asked them what they were doing.

 

Their hands released your shirt and started moving wildly, a flurry of motion. You slowly realised that they were signing, and tried to keep up as best you could through the hasty gestures. You'd had a client who used sign language, a sweet old lady who'd open her home to you whenever you needed it. You'd known a little before then, but had learned more from her, almost becoming fluent after long hours spent talking with her. The son never liked you much and had eventually warned you off from ever returning, you could probably guess why. You were glad you'd bothered to learn now, it helped you figure out what the kid was trying to get across. They were asking you for help, they were trying to hide from someone, a woman?

 

You looked carefully at them, their breathing was ragged, clothes tatty and a dark bruise was starting to form around their eye. They stood tensed, waiting for your answer. Something about them was all too familiar and struck a chord with you. They reminded you of yourself when you were younger. You nodded and the kid visibly relaxed. Still a little kid, they didn't look older than ten. It was sad that a child so young could look so afraid.

 

They were running from their aunt, pointing towards their eye when you asked why, the blue and purple bruise making the answer clear enough to you. Cold anger welled up in the pit of your stomach at the thought of how they'd been injured. You were getting protective over a child you’d met no more than five minutes prior.

 

“How old are you?”

 

They informed you that they were nine. They were so young, you were barely 16 yourself at the time, still fairly new on the streets. Knowing how rough it could be, you knew it was no life for a nine-year-old.

 

Kneeling down in front of them you grasped their shoulders, looking straight at them, they held your gaze, unwavering. Trusting.

 

“Listen, you ever need me, I'll be right here okay? Even if it's just to hide out for a while.” They nodded “I can't keep you here, if she finds you, you'll have to go back with her.” they wilted, but signed that they were happy that you'd let them come back. The look on their face blanked out, like they were lost in thought for a moment before pointing out that if they were found here their aunt or parents would know where to look if they came again, it was a good point. An idea popped into your head, an idea that would solve that particular problem.

 

“Not if they're too afraid to come back.” a sly smile spread across both of your faces.

 

“Kid, where the hell are you?” A woman's voice rung out, echoing off the walls of the narrow alley. You stood up straighter, holding the kid steady in front of you. You put your best smile on your face, ready to confront the woman. “There you are! What have I told you about running off!” if it hadn't been for the bruise on the kids face and the way they'd been trembling in your grasp you might have bought her 'worried guardian' act.

 

“Hi there! Is this little one yours?” you made yourself appear artificially friendly, like a tired employee dealing with a difficult customer. Something about this woman set something dark off in you, made you want to lash out at her. This was going to be fun.

 

“Hardly,” she snorted derisively “it's my sisters kid.” Wow. Now you really hated this woman. What kind of a person calls anyone, yet alone family, 'it'? You tipped your head to one side owlishly, grin still fixed firmly in place.

 

“Oh?”

 

She looked more nervous, breaking eye contact with you to look down at the kid.

 

“Sweetie, why don't we get you home?” Her voice was like caramel, a thin trill of underlying panic lining it. You carried on staring intently at her, smile plastered on your face. You were trying to psych her out and it was working. The kid shook their head, backing further into you.

 

“C'mon kid, move it already!” she tried to grab for the kid but you stepped backwards, pulling them with you. She tried again but the two of you dodged, twice more she tried and failed until finally she caught the kid by the hair. Her eyes widened in shock and fear when you grabbed her wrist, holding on so tight that you could feel the bones grinding under touch.

 

Still with your manic grin, you held her in place until she let go of the kid. You tried to keep your anger off your face, but you just knew that it was written all over your body language that you were mad.

 

“Oh?”

 

She tried in vain to pull away, moving to strike at you with her other arm. You caught that wrist too. She looked terrified now, unable to escape and pinned by both wrists.

 

“Let me go! LET ME GO YOU SICK FUCK BEFORE I-” you cut her off by throwing her backwards, putting as much strength behind the action as you could. It was enough to knock her to the ground at least. She scrambled to her feet, grabbing the kid and fleeing.

 

“I hope you come back again soon!” a sickly sweet smile crossed your features as you waved goodbye. You giggled for the effect, though you felt sick after the confrontation. The kid was practically vibrating with barely concealed laughter the whole time. You hoped that she'd been freaked out enough to never come back. You hoped the kid wouldn't be in too much trouble.

 

That had been the first time you'd met Frisk, after that they came and visited you often. Usually once or twice a week at least. Sometimes it was more if things were bad on their side. The months ticked on by like seconds. You'd always let them know first thing if you were planning to change locations, not wanting them to lose contact with you, or you them.

 

If they'd been surprised when they found out what kind of witch you were they didn't show it at all. You'd initially been worried about how they would react to your magic, though after getting to know them you'd realised that they were incredibly open minded, kind and considerate through and through.

 

Occasionally they would talk to you using their voice instead of their hands, it a was quiet but sweet sound. It suited them and you'd told them as much, earning you a smile. Other times they would sign, happy that you could sign back with relative accuracy. They never told you their real name, after a while you'd taken to giving them a nickname. Frisk. The kid had liked it enough that it stuck.

 

A few months in you decided to show them how you operated, letting them tag along with you. They'd been suitably impressed when the kitten had come back to life. You showed them how you worked through a system of favours, a simple and effective way of making sure people were treated as fairly as possible. Most of the time you wouldn't ask for much, a keepsake or something you needed. You only took money when it was offered or when you needed it most from those who could spare it. You never asked younger children for anything as a rule, though they almost always left you something anyway. You'd kept your favourite gifts, the kid loved asking you the stories behind each one. You were more than happy to indulge them, simply because they were such a great listener and they were memories that kept you grounded. They reminded you why you did this. Why you put your life in danger every time you reached into death.

 

Frisk especially loved it when you described death to them. Looking back, it was a pretty heavy topic to be talking about with a kid, but Frisk seemed genuinely curious. You described how it was constantly changing, like the ocean with its tides and ebbs. That living things were warm and death was cold. How souls would drift out, some faster than others (you had yet to encounter a monsters’ soul, since they'd still been trapped underground unbeknownst to the rest of the world). They listened intently, peppering you with questions like “How do you do it?” and “How do you find the soul?” Sometimes you had an answer and sometimes you didn't. Everything you knew you'd had to learn on the job, how could you fully understand your own abilities with no one to guide you but yourself?

 

You soon found yourself thinking of Frisk like family. It wasn't like either of you cared much for your biological relatives, was it? Being with them was just, easy. It was comfortable. The two of you could laugh for hours, exchanging dumb jokes. You loved buying them things whenever you could afford it. They had a particular love for stripes, they always seemed to be wearing them. It was endearing.

 

The final straw came a year later. Frisk had turned up battered and bruised, more than the usual bump or scratch you'd almost come to expect to see. They carried a bag with them with some clothes and a few other things. You hadn't pressed them too hard at the time, they wouldn't have come if it hadn't been something big, judging by their condition it had been. Part of you wished that they'd done this sooner. Part of you wished you'd made them.

 

Exactly two weeks later Frisks mother and her newest in a long string of boyfriends had found you. They'd tried to force Frisk to come back 'home' with them. Standing between you and Frisk, refusing to let you past. That was the first time you ever let your powers manifest in reality. It had been broad daylight, early summer. Not long after Frisks birthday. Anger had taken over you, a protective rage that sharpened your resolve to defend the little ten-year-old. Your vision Blurred red and a metallic tang at the back of your throat told you that you’d suffer for it later, not that you’d cared at the time. Your jaw had set like stone and your glare could have pierced Kevlar. You’d raised a hand towards, concentrating on the ones standing between you and Frisk. You could only think of getting them back, safe with you.

 

The air grew icy, a supernatural chill that sent a shiver straight down your spine. You didn't quite know what it was that you were doing, but you'd be damned if you let these people take Frisk. You'd stood by and watched for an entire year, you'd seen how much the kid had suffered at the hands of these demons who dared call themselves Frisks family. You were fighting against your own abilities, clumsily and ham-fistedly trying to pull death into life, but somehow it was working. Enough that you could feel the freezing water of deaths void all around you, so strong that even Frisks ‘parents’ could feel it.

 

You'd bared your teeth as they both spun to face you, eyes widening in disbelief, they hadn't known that you were a witch. Good, it meant that they were more afraid of you. You could remember what happened clearly enough, you'd sent them running from the alley in terror, clearly believing that you'd kill them otherwise. Magic could have that effect on people, especially before the appearance of the monsters. That was the first and last time you ever saw them. The last time Frisk had to deal with their parents.

 

Using your magic like that had wiped you out for days, Frisk took good care of you during that time. They were so good, how could anyone ever hurt them the way they had? It was beyond you.

 

Things were good after they started staying with you full-time. The kid still didn't talk much but it was more often than before, they seemed happier. They filled a gaping hole in your heart you'd barely known was there before. How had you ever coped without them by your side? You played, learned, slept and even worked together, rarely leaving each other’s side for more than a few minutes at a time.

 

Things had carried on well enough for months after, but something was nagging at the back of your mind. A trickle of doubt that wormed its way into your every conscious moment. It told you that Frisk didn't belong here on the streets with you. That they could do so much more. It was too late for you, too many people knew that you were a witch. A weird one at that, if you'd had a different talent, something like herbalism then maybe things could have been different. You’d heard that there was a pretty successful herbalist somewhere in the area even, But Frisk? If you weren't there, no one would ever suspect the kid ever had anything to do with something like magic. They could live a normal life, maybe get a proper family. Not an abusive household and certainly not hanging around street corners with a poor excuse for a guardian like you were. It killed you to think of all the things they were missing out on. It killed you that not once had they complained about what little they had, even thanking you for every little thing you could give them. They were still so young, had so much ahead of them.

 

These thoughts had followed you like a bad smell for ages afterwards, Frisk had quickly picked up on your change in attitude. They were more guarded around you, almost jumpy. It hurt you both, but no matter how well you tried to care for them it never seemed like enough. You wondered if anything would ever feel like enough. The kid deserved the world. You couldn't even put a roof over their head. You could hardly even keep them fed and clothed.

 

It had been well over two years since you'd met Frisk.

 

“Frisk,” It was almost midnight, they were curled up into you, fitting snugly under one arm. They'd flinched when you'd spoken, your heart turned to lead. “if... If you ever find somewhere better than this, promise me you'll stay there. Please... kid I can't keep you here like this, it's not fair on you. You can do so much better.” You sounded almost as broken as you felt. Frisk buried their head into you and it dawned on you that they were crying, sobbing. Not once in the time you'd known them had they cried, not like this. You felt miserable, holding them close to you as they sobbed. You didn't regret your words, if Frisk could find something better than this you would be happy. You told yourself that, but truth be told, you'd come to love Frisk, relying on them to keep you steady more than any of your trinkets. They were your best friend, younger sibling and emotional support all wrapped up in one adorable package, a living ray of sunshine. You'd eventually fallen into a fitful sleep with Frisk still shaking in your arms.

 

You remembered how it felt when you woke up to find them gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and now, the skelenotes *coolmusic starts playing*:  
> kid hi  
> omg ur cute  
> frisk using sign language tho  
> honestly it's my life  
> I know like, 4 signs in bsl tho  
> thank u mr tumble  
> oh whos this  
> get rekt  
> cute fluff with the kid  
> im naming them frisk  
> I am not good enough for this pure cinnamon roll  
> they have left me  
> well... shit
> 
> Next chapter probably wont be anywhere near as long! this was... longer than i planned. Thanks for reading this far!


	7. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wake up.
> 
> edited 27/07/16

In films and books, people always jerk awake after a traumatic event, all heavy breathing and wide eyes. That wasn’t how it really worked. You flickered in and out of consciousness for what felt like it could have been either seconds or years, days passed before you were lucid enough to take in your surroundings. All you were really aware of was that you were laying on your front, enveloped by a soft warmth. Your back ached, an ache that ran deep, moving would hurt like hell. You knew you shouldn't be able to move at all given that the last thing you remembered....

 

The last thing you remembered was pain.

 

Light pastel coloured walls, a familiar window across from you and Frisk close enough that you could feel the warmth rolling off them in soothing waves. If it wasn't for the pain, you might have thought that you'd dreamt everything that happened since you'd met Frisk once more. That was probably a lie, you doubted you'd ever forget the terror of being hunted down by the man with the rotten soul, the look in his eyes when he'd first cornered you in the alley, the agony as he tore at your flesh. Your desperate flight must have ended up near Toriels home, else you wouldn't have made it. It scared you to think how close you were to dying, maybe you had died at one point. You doubted that you'd know any better even if you had.

 

You turned your head, Papyrus sat on a chair beside you, he looked utterly exhausted.

 

“Human! You are awake at last!” he frowned, rubbing one bony hand over an eye, “I'll go get the others!” he left the room hurriedly, giving a soft “Nyeh!”as he left. He reminded you of a puppy, in the nicest way possible. Was there a bad way? You flipped on your side to see the door better, hissing though your teeth at the pain that lanced through your back. It was worse now that you were fully awake.

 

Toriel walked in first, followed by both the skeletons. A blue skinned fish lady with striking red hair you'd not yet met stood next to Alphys, was she the girlfriend mentioned at breakfast last time? Probably, they looked like a couple. Just something in the air between them.

 

“My child, how are you feeling?” Toriel placed a worried hand over your forehead, relieved to see you conscious.

 

“I'm not dead...” Your voice was scratchy. Probably all the screaming, not to mention however long it had been since you'd had a drink. “Can I have some water...?” Toriel nodded towards the fish lady who was closest to the door. She saluted and spun on her heel, returning a moment later with a plastic cup full of water. Marching cheerily over to you, she seemed almost as full of energy as Papyrus. You just felt weak, even more so in comparison to their enthusiasm for things as simple as passing you a cup of water.

 

“Names' Undyne!” She declared after passing that water to Toriel, her hands on her hips. “You took quite the beating squirt! You got guts, I'll give you that.” You decided you liked her. Actually, you were yet to find a monster you didn't like. You weren’t entirely sure if she meant the gits thing in a more literal sense or not.

 

Toriel helped prop you up into a sitting position as you drank, small, slow sips so as not to aggravate your throat or cracked lips. The others present had devolved into quiet chatter and Frisk was slowly starting to stir beside you.

 

They opened one eye groggily. You could almost hear the cogs ticking as they processed that not only were you awake, but that their friends were all gathered around the room. It occurred to you that they were all here because of you, not that you knew what to do with that information. It was just a thought. A thought that hit you like a brick to the face.

 

Frisk hopped up of the bed, careful not to jostle you around too much, turning to hug you gently, being mindful of your back and the various other injuries littering your body. Toriel, Undyne and Papyrus followed them out the room, you could hear the exact moment the latter two stopped trying to stay quiet. Alphys nervously asked if you were in too much pain, you shook you head and smiled at her. Your back hurt like a bitch, but you could bear it. Whatever pain you were in was much better than being dead.

 

“You had us worried for a while there kiddo.” Sans spoke for the first time since you'd woken up. You liked the way the monsters called you kid or child, from them it sounded more affectionate than if it had come from another human. Besides, you were only nineteen, you were still young enough that it wasn’t rude.

 

“If you don't mind talking about it, could y-you tell us what happened? We don't want to rush you...”

 

You took a deep breath in. You'd have to tell someone sooner or later and, despite only having met them once, you trusted these people. They’d helped you when countless others had ignored you and your cries for help. What exactly had happened towards the end you couldn’t remember.

 

“I don't mind.”

 

Sans sat down where his brother had been when you first woke up, the pinpricks of white light had faded from his eyes. Alphys perched herself at the foot of the bed, looking down at her scaly yellow hands that rested on her lap. She may have been nervous, but she was nice and you felt like you’d trust her with almost anything.

 

“Let’s see, it was Friday night. I was deciding what to wear to lunch with you guys and uh...” you trailed off, reluctant to hint at your living arrangements. They'd find out eventually anyway. “Well a guy came right up behind me without me noticing. He pushed me around a bit. I saw the knife and I think I panicked a bit, but I managed to grab my bag and run. Lost track of where I was going though, don't think I knew that I was even anywhere near here when I fell. My legs gave out and he got me.” Stopping yourself from shrugging you tapered off. They probably already knew what happened next. You'd started shaking at some point, a delayed reaction.

 

“This stuff happen often buddy?” He spoke through gritted teeth. His voice had lowered, he seemed angry.

 

“Kinda, not all the time though. That guy tried to get to me once before. I let my guard down,” a bitter laugh escaped you “and now look at me.”

 

“Not your fault some crazy bastard tried to kill you, twice.” well, he wasn't wrong. You still should have been more careful.

 

“There's something else too.” You looked straight at Sans, now you had his full attention. Alphys took that as her cue to leave, you wouldn't have much minded if she stayed, assuming Sans was going to relay everything to the others later anyway. “Back in the alley, I did something. When you uh... found me back then, I did something similar to him.”

 

Sans looked worried, not quite following what you were saying.

 

“How'd ya mean?”

 

“I reached out to his soul and used it to push him away. But here's the thing,” your voice quietened, you stared down at your hands, glancing up only to check that they were both still listening “it was completely rotten. I felt sick even looking at it.”

 

A whistle of air slid past Sans’ teeth, he leant back further in his chair, having unconsciously leant forwards. He didn't seem surprised though.

 

“Yeah, me and Tori saw it too. Human souls are weird. They can rot, but the body? It'll still keep on going, like nothing's even happening on the inside. Monsters… we just don’t do that.” you both sat quiet for a moment, reflecting.

 

“So was it you two who found me?”

 

“Yeah, Paps and Tori fixed you up though, you were a real mess.” You'd have to do something to thank them. Even the best human doctors probably wouldn't have been able to do what they'd done, if they'd even treated you in the first place. He stood up slowly, walking out but pai=using at the doorway for a brief moment. “I'll go get Paps, I bet he'd love to talk with you again.” you grinned, you hadn't had much of a chance to talk with him last time or earlier and you'd love to have the chance to talk. He seemed cool, in his own way. And if he’d been one of the ones who’d patched you up, you’d have to thank him for it yourself.

 

“One more thing... What's up with the W's?”

 

You rubbed at the mottled pink letter on your forearm, fingers sliding over the raised flesh it’s sister on the other arm itched. One There was another etched into the nape of your neck, three total.

 

“They're brands.”

 

“Brands?”

 

“They mark me as a witch. So people can see what I am.”

 

“Ah.” He nodded as if you’d just confirmed something he’d already known and left, off to find his brother.

 

He was in a position to understand as well as anyone what humans thought of magic, if only he'd seen what it was like before the monsters had appeared. They'd normalised it, made magic something more acceptable. The sensationalism surrounding the monsters plight had meant that things were better for all magic users, monster or human, not just socially, but legally too. That didn’t mean that everything was suddenly perfect, but there was no denying that there was hope for a better future. Branding had been stopped for all new witches at least. Nothing to be done for those already affected though.

 

You spent the next hour listening to Papyrus talk in his endearing almost a shout (he was trying to be quiet but he was so excitable that his voice kept growing in volume) before giving in to the knowing exhaustion and falling asleep. When you woke up the next morning, a sweet smelling slice of pie and a glass of juice was left on the chair beside you.

 

Recovery may take some time, but you were willing enough to wait, especially if it meant you got more of Toriels amazing cooking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry there's not much happening in this chapter, the next one will have more to it! i Didn't want to launch straight into too much happening so soon after the whole 'getting stabbed' thing y'know?  
> Skelenotes:  
> oh hey I am alive  
> healing magic is sweet af  
> nm happenin  
> we meet undyne for maybe 2 seconds  
> she'll be back  
> I'll explain the markings a lil more later  
> ;)


	8. interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a short, silly little thing
> 
> edited 27/07/16

Three days later you woke up, not to the obnoxious ringing of an alarm clock, but to the sound Frisk giggling. You squinted against the light assaulting your tired, bleary eyes, the scene coming into focus. They were sitting next to your bed holding a black sharpie, obviously trying their best to look innocent through the definitely-not-innocent giggles. Oh dear. They hadn't had they? The sharpie, the giggling, there was only one thing that could mean. pawing clumsily at your face didn’t do much, other than driving Frisk into a fit of hysterics. They were laughing so hard that their entire body was shaking, you were actually slightly worried that they would fall off the end of your bed, even through your sleepy stupor.

 

“Hey bucko, what's so funny?” of course it would be Sans who walked in. of course. He took one look at you and doubled over too. Great. Now all this needed was for Tor-

 

“Dearest, what's all this noise about? Breakfast is ready and we need to leave soon if Frisk and I are to get to the school in time.” aaaand there she was. She stood frozen, stock still in the doorway. Her eyes blew comically wide and she slapped a hand to her face to try and stop the inevitable. Toriels’ bleating laughter soon joined the growing chorus. All you needed was one more person and you’d have yourself a private serenade from a quartet.

 

There was one thing you couldn’t help but wonder about. Just what had Frisk done to your face? Deciding to take action, you stood up, shuffling into the bathroom to look in the mirror and leave the howling trio behind you. Hopefully they wouldn’t think you were upset, you were just curious as to what they found so funny and wanted to see it for yourself.

 

The mirror revealed the true horror that was your face.

 

“According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway”

 

They'd written part of the script to the bee movie. On your face. In sharpie. Really? How had Frisk even known the words? Why of all things to do to someone's face had they done that? Wait shit, they'd used a sharpie, that was never going to wash out! You groaned and rested your head against the cool glass. When you lifted your head again, you cringed and wiped away the smear you left behind on the otherwise perfectly immaculate mirror. Waiting for the laughter to die down before you returned, you stormed in with anger written all over your face (beneath the script). You couldn’t quite wipe the grin off your face, but smiling was kind of your thing anyway, and with any luck you could play it off with as a grimace or something.

 

“Frisk I cannot bee-lieve you did that!”

 

It took them all a second to register you weren't mad at them.

 

“Oh dear, I hope it washes off, or it may bee-come a sticky situation!” Toriel hit you with the double pun, triggering a flame off of bee related jokes, which Sans won spectacularly. You couldn’t help but marvel at the vast array of puns you all managed to come up with on the fly. Even so, the loss really stung your fragile pride. You were still buzzing from the experience though.

 

Still shooting the odd pun out the four of you headed down to breakfast, but not before Toriel helped you wipe off most of the pen (while still giggling). Though you could still see a faint imprint where the words had been, a residual reminder of why you should always keep pens, especially the kind that didn’t tend to wash off, well away from Frisk. The kid was too good at pranks. You blamed Sans. Nothing to do with you whatsoever. Nope, not at all. You’d never pulled a prank in your life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no skelenotes here, it was unplanned! i wrote this as a silly kind of thanks to my wonderful son/friend/proofreader also known as lovellart and was going to post it separately to the story but it would really only make sense here, back to the plot next chapter! the stories actually going to go places again! we may even meet the cutest ghost to ever spoop! who knows? i dont!


	9. time to talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> your friends help you make some life changing decisions, you also meet a cute ghost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter time! I tried to cut it down but it wasn't gonna happen, thank you all for sticking with the story so far!
> 
> edited: 27/07/16

Your eyes stung, unshed tears trying to rip themselves free. Of course you couldn't stay here forever. Why would they want you, a homeless street witch, living with them? They were a family, you had no place intruding on that any longer than necessary. You refused to let the tears fall, instead you just carried on smiling.

 

It was only few short hours ago that Toriel had quietly approached you and asked to speak with you after she returned from work, but those hours had seemed more like centuries to your anxious mind as your imagination ran wild. She'd said she wanted to talk about where you were going to go after. Once you left, after spending three weeks here you were already fully recovered from the attack. Well, physically at least. No more gaping wounds or painful aches left behind, you’d barely even scarred. Not that you cared either way about the scars, they were on your back, you couldn’t see them anyway.

 

There was a major problem. Of course there was. Every time you thought about leaving you couldn't help but feel a swell of panic. You really had nowhere to go. You couldn't exactly go back to your alley, not after everything that had happened, and honestly, you didn't exactly have many friends who would help you. Just a few unspent favours you'd collected over time. You’d rather save them, but if you really had to leave…

 

That was how you spent most of the day. You'd been sitting hunched over, leg bouncing idly while you stared down at your trembling hands, ever since the others had left. Sans gone to work one of his many jobs, Frisk and Toriel for the school. Waiting for the inevitable. You wouldn't dare impose on their kindness any more than you already had, but the added guilt didn't help you deal with your growing fears.

 

A quick glance at the clock told you that Toriel was due back in little under an hour. Sans a little while after. You stayed sitting where you were, mind in turmoil.

 

What if they wanted you to leave right away? Were they tired of having you around? For all you knew they were only tolerating you because of Frisk, they could hate you for all you knew! Hell knows enough humans hated you for existing, why would monsters be any different? Just because they were polite enough not to say it to your face Your mind had taken a vicious turn and you were powerless to stop it. You stewed like that until Toriel returned with Frisk, surprisingly with Sans in tow. He usually worked until late. Your misery must have been written on your face if their reactions were anything to go by.

 

“Oh! Did what I say earlier worry you? Do not worry child, we only want what is best for you!” Toriel gushed, clearly upset with herself. A cold feeling of shame seeped its way through you, how could you have thought that they'd just kick you out? These were the same people who'd accepted you for what you were, something not even your own family had done. They were your friends.

 

Frisk ran up to you, tugging at your shirt to get your attention. You looked, wondering what they wanted. The moment you turned your head they reached up to you and kissed you on the cheek, pulling away to give you a toothy grin. The gesture left you feeling warm and slightly embarrassed. They sat beside you on the plush sofa, tucking themselves into the crook of your arm and humming tunelessly.

 

Toriel sat next to Frisk and Sans perched on the arm of the sofa, his hand resting casually on Toriels shoulder.

 

“Are you ready to talk now pal?”

 

“As ready as I'll ever be.” You hadn’t meant to sound so small and resigned, not when you knew you weren’t about to be thrown out like an empty bottle. Frisk wriggled, wrapping their small arms round your waist. You got a feeling that they were going to be wrapped round you like a vine before long. You were feeling better about this now.

 

“Do you have anywhere to go? Anyone you can stay with once you are ready to leave us?” Toriel was looking at you with such genuine concern that you nearly broke down in tears right then and there. By now they knew about your prior living arrangements, you'd come clean about that the first chance you'd gotten after waking up, knowing you weren't going to be judged for it. Sans had already known, but had let you tell the others in your own time.

 

“No. There's nowhere for me” you hadn't meant for it to come out quite like that, your voice wasn't mean to tremble that way it had. You needed to get a grip and control your voice better than that. What was it about these guys that made you open up so easily?

 

“Should we offer to help you, would you allow it?”

 

You let the meaning of the statement sink in before answering. Would you let them help you? You weren't above taking help when you needed it, but could you really accept anything else from them even though they'd given you so much already? Of course. There was nothing else you could do. Nothing that would keep you safe, the thought of going back to the streets made your stomach churn. The man who'd attacked you wasn't the only one who was out for your blood, it would only be a matter of time before someone got it.

 

“Yes. I'd like that, but...” you paused, could you really ask to do this? It might be going too far, asking for too much. “Could I do something for everyone? I'd like to give something back. As a thank you. Maybe I could cook a dinner or something? If that's okay with you.”

 

Toriels face lit up with pure delight and Sans gave a low chuckle, amused by your suggestion. It was pretty out there, even by your standards.

 

“That's not a bad idea there, I'm sure we'll all be dining to hear more later.” Frisk giggled at the skeletons pun.

 

“I'm afraid you wont be able to live with us here, though you'll always be welcome of course.” you nodded, expecting as much. Toriels home was a hub of activity, monsters were always coming and going, people stayed over more nights than not, even with you taking up the guest bedroom. “Perhaps... Sans, do you know anyone with a free room? I'm sure anyone would be happy to have you with them!” she directed the latter part at you. You nodded, unsure how to react to the compliment. You’d been showered in them recently.

 

“Wait! I don't even have a job, how would I pay rent?” the thought hit you like a bullet, you needed somewhere to stay, but if you couldn't at least pay rent then...

 

“Kid, it'll be fine. Trust me, I know someone, I'm sure he can afford a freeloader.” he had a mischievous glint in his eye that you weren't sure you trusted. “Hey, Tori...” He leant and whispered something in her ear, making her eyes light up with that same glint. You definitely didn't trust it now. “I have to call Paps real quick.” you expected him to leave the room but he just pulled his phone out of the pocket of his jacket and dialled.

 

“Hey Paps.”

 

“AH SANS! HAVE YOU FINISHED TALKING TO BOSS?” you cringed a little, he'd picked up the nickname from the neighbour kids and had used it ever since.

 

“Nah. Hey, do you think Mettaton would like boss?”

 

“ABSOLUTLEY! I'M SURE ANYONE WOULD ADORE THEM!”

 

“Great, wanna go ask him if they can stay with him and his cousin?”

 

“OF COURSE! I SHALL LEAVE DO IT RIGHT NOW!” you caught the sound of glass breaking before Sans put the phone down. Had he dropped something? A glass maybe.

 

“Oh my. Sans, did Papyrus jump out the window without opening it again?” Toriel's face was almost as deadpan as Frisks usually was. Did Paps seriously just jump out a window? Was that a thing that he did?

 

“Yup” Sans wore his perma-grin with ten times the smugness, watching your face carefully as if waiting for a reaction. You were just bemused by the whole thing.

 

You all sat talking about anything for a while, even managing make some plans for the dinner you were going to cook for everyone. You were running a hand absently through Frisks hair when you thought of something. You weren't about to deny the help you were offered but there was a slight issue you thought you should bring up before it got awkward.

 

“Um, not to be rude but...”

 

“Yeah bud?”

 

“Who the hell is Mettaton?”

 

Your innocent question was met with a moment of silence as they all looked blankly at you.

 

The moment became a minute, the minute became five.

 

You did it. You'd broken them. They were broken and you were responsible for it. Were they ever going to stop laughing? This was worse than when Frisk did... that to your face. All three of them were crying with laughter and you had no idea what was going on, had you said something wrong? They were still laughing five minutes later when something moving caught your eye, startled, you jumped halfway to the ceiling.

 

“.....Ohhh................. I'm sorry.... Maybe I should leave.........”

 

Holy….

 

Was that?

 

It was!

 

There, in front of your eyes was a ghost. Not the kind you were used to dealing with, this one was very much alive and it was simply adorable. It looked like something Frisk would draw when they were younger, a sheet ghost with the cutest face you had ever seen, and you'd seen plenty of faces. They were even wearing headphones!

 

Wait. What were they even plugged in to? Did ghosts have pockets? You should really stop questioning monster anatomy. You still wanted to know about the ghost pockets.

 

“Blooky!” Frisk unwrapped themselves from you and flew at the ghost monster before it could leave. You realised you were staring and offered an apologetic smile.

 

“Napstablook dear, did Mettaton send you?” Toriel smiled gently, her reassuring presence seemed to help calm the ghost, who'd appeared flustered moments earlier.

 

“Wait, Napstablook? Like the musician?” the ghost monster was the one who'd made that amazing music? You'd been given an mp3 player with their music as thanks from one of your clients and had treasured it ever since. Frisk had played you some of their newer tracks while you were recovering too, now you were meeting them? Your breathing may or may not have sped up a little (a lot) at the thought.

 

Your comment was met with sniggers and general disbelief. At some point Frisk had found their way onto Toriels lap.

 

“Wait a minute kid, you're telling us that you don't know Mettaton but you know Napstablook? Ohmygod this is priceless!”

 

Napstablook just stared vacantly at you. You smiled back.

 

“Is.... really...? you don't know Mettaton......?” Did they seem upset? Had you upset them? You hoped you hadn't upset them already. They were cute and talented and cute… you didn’t want to upset them.

 

“Dear, you were going to tell us why you are here?” Toriel prompted.

 

“....................................................Oh yeah.” they paused for an agonisingly long time. “......Mettaton and Papyrus wanted to.... talk. They told me to tell you all something................”

 

Toriel smiled patiently, Sans' smile grew a little wider when Napstablook mentioned the … talking. You must have been missing something. “What did Mettaton say dear?”

 

“He said... that's lovely and he'd love to have them....... He also said he'd come round......... later.”

 

Sans looked over at you and winked, you nearly missed it since Napstablook had drifted over to where Frisk had been sitting beside you and sat there. How a ghost could sit down you had no idea. You'd said to stop questioning these things already.

 

It wasn't long before Papyrus burst through the door with his usual vigour.

 

“WE HAVE FINALLY ARIVED! I HAVE BROUGHT THE MARVELLOUS METTATON  BACK WITH ME!”

 

Finally, you could be put out of your misery, it was time. Was it really your fault you didn't know who the guy was? Someone had mentioned him being Napstablooks cousin earlier, was he going to be another ghost?

 

“Hello my darlings~!” a robotic voice trilled from the hallway. Not a ghost then.

 

He entered the room with a flourish and he was... something. Not what you'd expected at all from a cousin of the shy ghost. He was a flamboyant rectangle. A literal rectangle, a calculator with arms. He reached daintily behind him and fiddled around behind his back, disappearing in a thick cloud of steam and pink glitter. When the cloud finally dispersed you could hardly believe what you were seeing. Was this even the same guy? Everyone else rolled their eyes at the display, unfazed. It occurred to you that either this was a common occurrence or the theatrics were entirely for your benefit.

 

The rectangle had transformed into a shiny black and pink robot with, a frankly, perfect figure and hair that artfully covered one eye. Said robot was now delicately draped across the table looking dead at you.

 

“Well now,” He purred, you thought he might have winked but since one eye was covered by his hair you couldn't really tell “is this little kitten is our new house guest?”

 

“YES METTATON, THIS HUMAN IS A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE! THEY ARE ALMOST AS COOL AS I AM!” You melted da little inside at such a heartfelt compliment.

 

Mettaton leaned forwards and laughed, practised from the sound of it. He was clearly expecting a reaction of some sort from you. The same you who was still sitting there, bemused and wondering what this whole display was about. If anything.

 

“This will be fun, darling” he drawled, there was being dramatic and then there was this guy. Couldn't he have just walked in and said hello like a normal person? Probably not, he gave the impression that he liked to steal the spotlight. You weren’t sure if you actually liked that or not, even if he seemed harmless enough.

 

You still had no idea who the robot was, though apparently you were supposed to, and soon you were going to be living with him and Napstablook? This would be an adventure and a half, you just hoped you could handle whatever was about to be thrown your way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'll be posting a volley of chapters before Christmas, i really want to do a Christmas chapter but i don't want to skip through the plot. The next two chapters are written so i should be good on that. Anyway, now for the skelenotes:
> 
> some srs stuff????  
> paps do u kno what a phone is  
> u dont have to go there urself m8  
> oh  
> OH  
> OHOHOHO  
> paps dats gay  
> papyton4lyfe  
> wait why are they a ghost  
> oh no they're cute  
> mettaton what the frick


	10. Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You begin preparations for the big meal. also, Sans knows more than you ever realised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 10 already wow. fun fact, the events of this chapter were meant to happen a while back but i didn't like how forced it seemed.

It was Friday. The day of the meal and your last full day at Toriels before the move. You hadn't had much to pack, so you'd dedicated yourself to planning every last detail. To your surprise, Toriel had been happy to hand over her kitchen to you. Letting you have free reign over the (extremely) well stocked cupboards, muttering something about you being less likely to set fire to it than Undyne. That at least explained the scorch marks you'd noticed when you first came here. 

Deciding to play to your strengths with the meal, you were going to keep the main course simple yet refined, definitely nothing to do with the heavy hints Sans kept dropping about how much everyone especially loved one particular dish. Absolutely nothing to do with that at all. You were planning on dessert being a much more extravagant affair, making the sweeter dishes was your speciality. You'd be damned if you weren't going to go all out, this was your thanks for everything the monsters had done for you after all. It still didn't quite seem enough. 

Back when Frisk had first started staying with you in your alley you'd managed to get a job at a small local bakery, finding a hidden talent you hadn't even known existed. You were pretty darn good at baking. Unfortunately, like most other things in the end, that job had ended badly. You didn't like to think about it much any more. The past was in the past. With any luck it would stay there.

You'd gotten up early and gone straight to the kitchen, starting work on the various pastries you'd prepared and stored away in the fridge the day before, cutting and twisting them into specific shapes and thicknesses, before eventually putting them in the oven to bake. While they were in the oven you focused on preparing icing and everything else you'd need once they'd cooled enough. You busied yourself with the task at hand, juggling different tasks with a natural ease. This had always been your favourite part of baking, when everything was starting to come together and look like a whole. There were other desserts still in the fridge and freezer, but pastries always tasted better the fresher they were and should, in your humble opinion, always be prepared as close to the time they were going to be eaten as possible. The smell of the cooking desserts filled the kitchen, it was a wonderful smell, warm and familiar. You worked tirelessly and quietly, not wanting to wake your sleeping friends above.

A short while later you started to hear sounds of movement from upstairs, meaning the others were beginning to wake up. If you were honest you probably hadn't needed to wake up half as early as you did, though you were wide awake. As much as you loved your rest it was difficult to adjust to staying in a bed after years sleeping on the hard ground. Some nights you just couldn't coax yourself to sleep, last night had been one of those nights. The unfamiliar softness of the bed combined with mixed feelings of nervousness and excitement for today had kept you awake for longer than you'd have liked.

As an extra surprise you'd even made breakfast, setting it out in the table and leaving it for the others to find. You'd made a set of french pastries, either plain, filled with almond paste or chocolate. You smiled quietly to yourself when you eventually heard happy sounds of surprise, wiping your hands clean and sauntering over to go join them for breakfast.

Frisk grinned at you, signing their thanks, mouth already occupied by one of the chocolate filled pastries. Toriel gave them a fond but disapproving look before loading up her own plate. Sans walked in five minutes later, taking his usual seat between Toriel and Frisk. Toriel sighed when he made no move to pick up any food and placed one pastry of each flavour on his plate, nudging it towards him.

“Did you make these? You must share your recipes! Now I simply cannot wait until dinner!” 

You beamed at Toriels compliments. It was one thing to know you were good at something but it was something else entirely for people to tell you. A sense of Deja Vu hit you then, had something like this happened before? You brushed the feeling off.

Frisk and Toriel chatted happily with you, though you noticed Sans was unusually quiet, not even taking the chance to throw around a few puns. Your attention was brought back to Toriel when she asked about your plans for the day.

“I've already prepared most of the things for later, I'll do the rest a bit before everyone else arrives.” As much as you didn't want to, there was something else you had to do. If you didn't do it today you doubted you'd ever work up the courage to do it. To go back. “I was going to go back the the alley while you were out, say my goodbyes and... stuff.” you hoped the hadn't caught the hesitation in your voice. Truthfully you'd been trying to shake a pervasive feeling of guilt, the alley was where people who needed your services would go to find you. You marked your alley as your own, so clients knew where to find you, you'd been planning to remove it at some point but had been struggling to work up the nerve.

“No. Don't go back there.” Frisk spoke in a low, warning tone that was all too familiar. You looked at them, their face blank but their eyes shining. Ah. You tried to play it off, trusting Frisk. They hadn't steered you wrong before.

“Great! I was looking for an excuse not to actually do it.” you winked at them and took a hearty mouthful of the pastry you were holding, hoping Toriel didn't suspect anything at your change of mind. Sans looked too out of it to care. You wondered what was wrong, maybe he'd had another nightmare, he'd had a few of those in the time you'd been staying here.

Toriel left early, she had a morning meeting at the school so Frisk would be getting the bus instead of going with her as usual. You started scooping up plates and carrying them to the kitchen, pausing at the sound of Sans talking on your way back in.

“What the hell are you playing at Frisk?” well damn, he sounded pissed. Maybe Frisk had pulled a prank on him, though he normally took them well enough. You hung back, waiting to hear more.

“I couldn't let them go back to the alley.”

“So you messed with time just to stop them going? Frisk, I thought you knew better than that.” 

Shit, Sans knew? 

He sighed, rubbing his skull with a bony hand.

“Kid, listen to me. You can't just manipulate peop-” 

“They were going to die.” Their voice sounded cold, empty. Familiar. You shivered. Frisk only ever talked like that when they really had to, the verbal equivalent of the eerie grin you sometimes adopted to intimidate assholes. 

You made to move back into the kitchen but your foot squeaked against the tiled floor, their heads snapped round at the sound. You cringed. Oops. Sans tried to splutter out an excuse but Frisk cut him off again.

“They know Sans.”

He went from shock to confusion to anger and right back to shock again. 

“You knew? Why didn't you-”

“Why didn't they do what? Stop me? How could they Sans, they couldn't stop me from saving or resetting if they tried.” Their voice lost the coldness, like they were about to cry. You were by their side in and instant, wrapping them in a tight, protective embrace.

“So you just expect me to believe that? Why do you have to keep on messing with-”

Would the poor guy ever get to finish a sentence? Not if you had anything to do with it.

“A few loaded saves are better than the alternatives Sans. Trust me. Who do you think taught Frisk to control their magic? Do you even know how hard we worked to get them this far? Frisk wouldn't do this unless they had to. Just trust them, okay? If they say I would have died then they've lived the future where I died. They know what was going to happen better than anyone because they were there to see it.” Sans gave a mutinous glare, not wanting to admit either of you were right. The tension in the room was so strong you could almost feel it, the low thrum of magical energy wasn't helping much. Sans needed to calm down and fast.

“I'm sorry. I don't want anyone to get hurt again.” He softened at that, deflating, as if he was only now realising that Frisk was trying to help. What else would they be trying to do? He looked over to you, more curious than hostile. The magic subsided and you let out a breathe you hadn't realised you were holding, loosening your grip on Frisk.

“You said you taught them, so you know when they've messed with time?” 

“Not quite, at most it's the feeling that I've done something before. Different kinds of witches have different talents, a lot like monsters. We used codes and other things to see if something worked or not. It made things easier for both of us. They're lucky they had me to guide them, or they might have ended up stuck at an institute.”

“What's so bad about that?” he probed, Frisk shuddered in your grasp. From the sounds of if he'd never even heard of the institutes. You immediately regretted bringing it up. They'd asked you the same thing years before, you hadn't held back then, determined to make the importance of what you were telling them stick. Maybe you'd done that a little too well. Though you hadn't exaggerated or lied, not once. 

“What's not bad about them?” you couldn't keep the bitterness from your voice “It's where people send witches. I was in one until I ran away, it's how I ended up on the streets. The first thing they do is give you brands, marking you for everyone to see. It only goes downhill from there.” 

That was an understatement if there ever was one. You'd hated it there, hated how you were forced to hide what you could really do for fear of 'disappearing' like anyone else who might be considered a threat. You hated the suspicious stares from the adults, the fear in the eyes of the other witches, some as young as four. You were fifteen when you left, you'd been caught doing something you shouldn't have. That had been a dark time, being betrayed by someone you thought you could trust, though that was a story for another day. No need to rile Sans up even more, he'd been a whirlwind of emotions since Tori had left. 

To say Sans looked appalled would be a lie, it went far beyond that. 

The institutes were well known among humans, though they were rarely mentioned. You were hardly surprised the monsters didn't know about them, how would humans explain them to the monsters when magic was so integral to their way of life? You had no idea. You weren't sure you even cared. Sans looked at the two of you as if with new eyes, if what little you'd told him was enough to shock him how would he react to the full story, to know how much your own kind had really hurt you and others like you? It wasn't something you planned on telling him right now, maybe not ever. Despite your rocky start, he was your friend too, just like all the other monsters were. He swallowed, composing himself.

“Hey kid, I'll take you to school today. I know a shortcut.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully i'll get the next chapter up today too, it's written i'm just editing a few bits. Thanks for reading this far! Any last minute ideas for the Christmas chapter are welcome (or any chapter really, always open to suggestions). Thanks for reading this far guys!
> 
> Skelenotes:  
> reader really likes pastry  
> I dont know shit about pastry  
> why am I like this  
> google help me  
> Frisk sweetie :)  
> what the fuck  
> I taught u better than that lil buddy  
> sans calm ur butt i got this


	11. time to dine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone gets there just desserts. Literally, you made them dinner.

You spent the rest of the day cooking, body going through the motions while your mind repeated the events of earlier. You genuinely hadn't meant to bring up the institutes, it was a part of your life you'd left behind. Old memories had started to resurface that you'd never wanted to have to think about again. You forced your mind to a different track. It a surprise that Sans knew about Frisks abilities, it had taken you months to realise what they could do. Realising he hadn't mentioned how much, or even how he knew what he did, you made a mental note to ask him later if you got the chance. 

You checked on the richly scented pots on the oven hob, dipping a spoon into one and blowing to cool it before tasting. It needed more seasoning. You prodded at the contents of the other pot with a fork, which still needed a few minutes to be ready, just enough time for you to lay the table. The motion helped distract you, instead you were looking forwards to the others arriving. They were due soon. They'd been dutifully waiting at the rabbit neighbours house until the set time, that was one of Frisks ideas. The kid had wanted everything to be a total surprise, though you wouldn't have minded if they'd all stayed for this bit. A part of you worried that they'd be disappointed. Everyone had been looking forward to today so much, as confident as you were in your own abilities what happened earlier had set you on edge. You worried that there would be even more surprises.

You drifted back into the kitchen, dishing out the food onto the correct number plates, accounting for the Napstablook, who you'd been told couldn't eat normal food. The clock ticked steadily on while you worked away, the doorbell ringing just as you set the last plate on the table, which had been extended to accommodate the large amount of guests. 

You excitedly ushered the others in, any earlier negativity forgotten at the sight of the group. Toriel entered first, followed by Frisk, MK, the rabbit girl, Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, Napstablook and Mettaton, who mercifully didn't cause as much of a scene as he could have done. Napstablook followed Mettaton closely and you nodded at him as you closed the door behind him. 

There were ten people, not including you soon to be seated around the table, ten people you called your friends. The thought almost made you feel dizzy. You hoped what you were doing would show them how much they meant to you. In the short time you'd known them the mismatched group had grown on you. With these guys you could let your guard down. 

“BOSS! YOU MADE SPAGHETTI! CAN YOU READ MINDS?” Papyrus was starry eyed. Literally, he had tiny stars in his eyes. So this was what all the hints Sans dropped were for. You glanced over at him, he was looking lovingly at Papyrus, a goofy smile on his face. God, you loved these guys.

Everyone sat at their allocated seats, you'd put a lot of effort into where to put everyone, relying heavily on Frisks sagely advice. You sat five on one side and six down the other, leaving one space opposite Frisk, you guessed they'd done that on purpose so they could go sit with the other kids as well as with Toriel. On one side sat you, Alphys, Undyne, MK and the Rabbit Girl. The Other side seated Napstablook, Mettaton, Paps, Sans, Tori and Frisk, In that order. 

Dinner progressed smoothly, you mostly just listened to the chatter, laughing along with whatever silly joke or funny story that was boing told. Paps at one point made a loud point of declaring his undying love for spaghetti. The monsters were a loud bunch, boisterous and excitable. You relished every minute in their company. 

You got up once everyone had finished, delivering a round of drinks to give time for the spaghetti dinner to go down before the next course. You started collecting plates from around the table and leaving them in the kitchen, taking two trips to get them all. Leaving them to deal with later. 

Now it was time for the best bit. 

You brought through the toppings first, drawing out the suspense for as long as possible. Creams, whipped and double, vanilla and plain, as well as a selection of sauces, including but not limited to: strawberry, cherry, raspberry chocolate and vanilla. There was an expectant silence when you set them down. You smiled inwardly, a ball of nerves twisting in your gut.

You scooped up one of the large platters, a selection of choux pastries, Belgian buns, profiteroles and so much more, you didn't risk carrying more than one at a time, it would be a disaster if you ruined it now. You were proud of yourself, you'd managed to make jaws drop with just one platter! 

“There's still more to come guys.”

“Darling, let me help you!” Mettaton was already in the kitchen before you could tell him you didn't need help. Never mind, at least the food would be served faster this way. 

You hadn't expected to nearly walk straight into him, standing frozen in the middle of the kitchen staring at the vast amount of food in front of him. He was looking at the morsels like they were made of gold. 

“You made all of this yourself?And dinner?” Mettaton sauntered over, heels clicking against the tiled floor. He reached over and picked up the other two platters one laden with strudels, apple and cherry the other holding a wider variety of pastries, mostly various forms of puff pastry. You nodded in answer, his one visible eye widening. “Incredible!”

He seemed different today, he still had presence but he was more tolerable. Calmer. Maybe he'd just been showing off the first time? Or maybe he didn't want to steal your show. Who knew. You'd been coerced into watching some of his shows, films and other media over the last few days by a very enthusiastic Papyrus and Frisk and he seemed just as unpredictable on camera. At least he hadn't brought out a chainsaw yet. 

The freezer still held ice cream, the only store bought items on the menu, that along with the trifle still in the fridge and you were all set. You'd considered baking pies, but you doubted you could ever match Toriels butterscotch and cinnamon pies. 

“After you darling.” 

You walked in, the robot strutting behind you bearing a platter in each white gloved hand. When you both presented the rest of the food, nine sets of jaws hit the floor.

“Boss, you made all this? How?”

“Yeah, I used to work in a bakery.”

“Woah boss, that's so cool!”

“Why ever would you stop dear, these are divine!” The robot leant dramatically on an unsuspecting Papyrus, sticking a hot pink boot up at an equally dramatic angle. Papyrus just blushed orange. Skeletons could blush? More monster things you shouldn't question but did anyway, would it ever end? It didn't feel like it would.

Undyne had managed to get a smudge of cream on her cheek, though she either hadn't noticed or didn't care. Like the others she was happily filling her face with your desserts. You had an idea. Leaning in towards Alphys you grinned wolfishly, trying to keep your voice quiet. Alphy

“Hey Alphys, Undyne's got something on her face, want to help her out with that?” 

To give credit where it was due the lizard woman only blushed a little, eyes bulging wide in their sockets when she sneaked a glance at her girlfriend to confirm that yes, she did have a smear of cream on her deep blue scales. 

“H-h-hey, U-Undyne!”

“Yeah babe?”

“Let me get that for y-you.” before Undyne could react Alphys had already reached up and removed the offending smear with her face. You couldn't tell who was more surprised, they were both blushing furiously. Someone wolf whistled, you thought it might have been Toriel. The fish monster exploded into laughter, sharp teeth catching the light of the room. Alphys giggled too, leaning back over to you and, speaking from behind a clawed hand thanked you quietly. You were always glad to do your bit. 

You'd caught Napstablooks eyes a couple of times, they'd hardly said a word to anyone other than Mettaton the whole time. They were sat opposite you, with their cousin beside them. Spurred on by your earlier success you tried to talk with the quiet spectre, clearly Mettaton had other plans.

“Dear, I have a proposition for you.” He sat with his hands tucked primly under his chin, elbows resting on the table. You got the impression everyone was listening. He was giving you the same smile he gave the contestants on his quiz shows, after an almost painfully long pause he finally spoke again. “How would you like to be on my show? As a guest of course.” 

What. 

“Is that really a good idea?” 

“Of course darling! You cook like a true star!” 

You weren't quite sure what that even meant. He only had one cooking show. You'd seen what happened to the guests on 'Cooking With A Killer Robot' and frankly, you just weren't about that life. Diffusing bombs while cooking a soufflé sounded exiting but it definitely wasn't your idea of a good time. Not even starting on what your witchiness would do to the stars ratings. The monsters may be oblivious to what you were but you doubted his human audience would take kindly to you.

“Thanks for the offer but no, I'm not actually a baker anymore. It wouldn't be fair to accept” You'd hoped that would be enough to put him off but he just pouted.

“What exactly is it that you do then, hmm?” 

“Nothing, I thought you knew?” You distinctly remember telling everyone you were a witch, surely he knew that the chances of you managing to land a job were slim to none. Wait, he hadn't been there when you, or more truthfully, MK, told everyone what you were, did he actually know? You must look like such an ass now.

“......Mettaton.... I don't think they want to do it..............” What a sweet ghost, helping you out like that. You slipped him another small smile as thanks.

“Oh, I'm so sorry! I can be a bit pushy sometimes, terrible habit I know.” he took a moment to consider, looking down at his half empty plate. “Though I just have to say it, you simply must make more sweet treats after you join us. Off camera that is.” 

As much as you enjoyed knowing your labours had made everyone happy, Mettaton's praise almost felt overbearing. He probably didn't mean it, he was just complimenting you in his own strange way. None of the monsters had actually done anything to try and hurt you before, well, except Sans. That had been one time, it didn't really count. 

“..................” 

Was Napstablook going to say something or had you imagined those little dots?

“Yes Blooky?”

“...........I wish I could try some..................everyone else is enjoying them....”

Oh. They felt left out and that instantly made you feel terrible for not thinking of how they'd feel. They'd brought their own stuff, translucent... things that when you'd asked they'd just called 'ghost food'. 

“If you like I could try making something you can eat some time?” You were full of promises today weren't you?

“........I don't think you can..... sorry...” The spook offered you a wan smile, looking slightly happier. Even when he's sad he's still adorable. 

Mettaton was inspecting one of the profiteroles, daintily squeezing it slightly so the cream filling bulged outwards. He looked like he was about to start talking again, but an outburst of laughter from the other end of the table caught both your attentions.

“Frisk, you are simply awful! Must you be so shameless?” 

The rabbit girl was flushed pink, trying to look as small as possible, covering her face with her long ears and hands (paws? You weren't sure), Frisk was perched next to them, leaning in and wriggling their eyebrows suggestively. 

“HUMAN! FIRST THE QUEEN AND NOW THIS? I THOUGHT WHAT WE HAD WAS SPECIAL!” Papyrus half shouted. You assumed he was joking, the rabbit just looked like they might die of embarrassment if this carried on. That... was a poor choice of words. Good thing you hadn't said it out loud. 

“Kiddo, you must have flirted with half the monsters already, I'm patell'in ya now, you need to stop.” 

“I don't know Sans, maybe Frisk just feels... bonely!” 

You giggled along with the others, not quite following the conversation but enjoying the puns nonetheless. 

The final course finished all too soon, everyone having eaten more than their fill. With just one more round of drinks the dinner would be over, right on time for the kids bed time. Alphys and Undyne were going to leave then too. They lived the furthest away, almost at the unofficial border between humans and monsters, not too far from your old alley. No one mentioned it but they probably didn't want to risk being out too late around there, it wasn't always safe. Nope, now was not the time for negativity, not while everything was going so well.

Mettaton and Napstablook left soon after. They'd be back round in the morning to escort you to your new residence. 

You, Toriel and the skeleton brothers were the only ones left now. Paps was staying overnight despite the fact he literally only lived a few minutes walk away. You got the impression he wanted to see you off, or maybe he just wanted to see Mettaton, he'd certainly seemed like he was close to the robot over dinner. It could be a bit of both.

Toriel insisted on doing most of the washing up, not acknowledging your protests. She only just let you get away with helping. 

Dinner had gone much better than you could ever have hoped, with any luck your good streak would last until tomorrow at least. You excused yourself after everything was put back in place, the poor sleep of the previous night and sheer exhaustion from being around such a large group all but wiping you out. You fell asleep quickly, your last thought before being pulled into the quiet tides of sleep was that the last time you were this happy you'd ended up nearly dying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the Christmas holidays are a busy time fore everybody, so I've spent my day furiously writing while wearing a kids batman cape. I'm living life to the extreme. I've been wondering, I've been writing some events from previous timelines, you want them added in here or as a second series? 
> 
> skelenotes:  
> food time!  
> Sweet ;)  
> Undyne and alphys are cute af  
> I dont have a job  
> why?  
> Sweetie nowhere wants me  
> im literally the devil incarnate to these people  
> oh okay thanks mettaton  
> Frisk is frisky


	12. Our very own

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to leave Toriels. Frisk had planned for you both to spend a fun final half day together but since when does anything ever go to plan?

It was a nice midwinter day, the air crisp and fresh, the sun already high in the sky. You could almost imagine the sound of birds singing in the distance. It was bloody cold. Your breath came out in little puffs of steam in front of your face and you were shivering inside your jacket. You were walking with Mettaton to his, and now your, home. He was chattering away, oblivious to the cold. Perks of being a robot. You weren't paying much attention to what he was saying, too busy thinking about what had happened only a few short minutes ago.

You'd woken up at a reasonable enough time, Frisk jumping up and down on your bed was a better wake up call than any alarm. They'd wanted to make good use of every last second in your company since you were due to leave after lunch. Lucky for you it was the weekend, who knows how early they'd have woken you up if it was a school day. 

Toriel handed you a bowl of one of your favourite cereals, bless her. There'd been an exited tension, an electric buzz that kept all four of you in high spirits while you ate, the others had long since gotten used to the way you and Frisk hunched over your meals, though you'd learnt to pace yourselves with the help of several nasty stomach aches. Or at least you assumed they were used to it since no one ever questioned it. 

Frisk had dragged you upstairs to go play with them as soon as you swallowed the last spoonful, not that you minded. They flitted around their bedroom gathering together all their drawing materials. They were a whirlwind of a child. The toothy grin they gave you as they quickly signed their intentions was adorable. You were both going to draw something without the other seeing then reveal both drawings at the same time. It was a fun idea, though you remembered a moment too late that they were a crayon hog. You only managed to swipe a couple from the pile before they ran off with the rest. Well, that limited your options some. You set to work on your creation.

“You ready Frisk?”

“Yeah!” They were vibrating with excitement, if you didn't know better you'd think they were a lot younger than they were. They were certainly short enough to pass as a smaller kid.

“Okay! On three.”

“One...”

“Two...”

“Two and a half...”

“No fair!” they whined. 

“Three!”

You both lifted your pictures, you half a beat slower. You just caught sight of the crudely drawn picture, it showed everyone last night, eating spaghetti and laughing, before the paper slipped free from between their fingers and dropping to the ground with a papery clunk. You hadn't seen them look that pale in a long time.

“Hey Frisk, you okay there? Frisk? Frisk!”

“Flowey...” They were looking at your picture. You'd drawn a yellow and green flower with a comical smile. Was that what upset them? How? It was just a cute flower! Tears started sliding quietly down their face, you'd wondered if you should call for Toriel. Before you could do anything they'd launched their small body at you, holding you like a vice, still sobbing. “I'm sorry... I'm so s-sorry..... I couldn't save you!” they choked out. Um, what?

“Frisk?”

They pulled away to look at you, or look past you. Their watery gaze was locked onto your drawing.

“I couldn't save them all. I'm sorry...” They were sobbing properly now, shoulders shaking. You panicked and hurried to pull them back towards you, cutting off their view of the offending picture. This was supposed to be a fun game not a 'how to make a child cry uncontrollably' game. 

“Listen Frisk, you saved the monsters, they're safe, okay? You did it, they're all here on the surface.” You actually had no idea if all the monsters had left the underground, but the barrier was broken, any monster could come and go freely from their former prison now. Close enough.

“Not Asriel.” Their voice hardened, that familiar steely tone that sent shivers down your spine. They weren't crying anymore, instead laying still in your arms. Who was Asriel and what did they have to do with a flower? “Not Asriel. He's trapped.” 

“What do you mean Frisk? The barriers broken, they're all free now.” Frisk shook their head, strands of hair clinging to their damp face. 

“He doesn't have a soul anymore, he can't leave.” 

“So you mean he's dead?”

“No. He's alive but he's got no soul.”

“And he's a monster?”

“Yeah.”

“That's not possible Frisk, a monsters body is their soul. If Asriel didn't have a soul then he'd be dead.” You knew what you were saying was true, you'd seen enough of how monsters work to figure that much out. 

“Nu-uh, Alphys did something to a flower. She used determination and he got trapped in a flower now he's stuck. He even had his original body for a little while. ” 

“That makes literally no sense Frisk. Want to explain?”

“I dunno.” Fair, they were only twelve. You forgot that sometimes. 

“So putting determination in a flower pulled back the not-soul of a monster? I don't think that's how it works, could it be more than that?” You were talking more to yourself than Frisk,though they were listening. That it made no sense was only a half truth. What Frisk was describing seemed a lot like what you did yourself. There was no way Alphys could have done that, was there? 

“Would you come meet him? I can show you the way. You can't tell anyone else though! They Can't know, not even Alphys.”

“I thought Alphys knew anyway. She's the one who did it right?”

“No, she forgot it ever happened. More time stuff.” Huh. Okay then.

“Sure, but how're we gonna get all the way to the mountain without the others noticing?”

“I'll ask Sans to take us, he wont want to go in. Not after everything that happened there.”

“Let me guess, even more time stuff?” 

They nodded, wiping their face on their sleeve. They'd left sticky damp smears down you front but you didn't mind, not after what they'd just told you.

“Then sure, let me know when you're good to go. I'll have to make time for it.”

It sounded like a good idea, though you wouldn't be able to do it today, maybe not anytime soon. You couldn't deny that you were more than a little curious, who knows, maybe you could even help the poor soul. Being trapped in a flower couldn't be fun. They seemed important to Frisk. You'd realised years ago that you'd do anything for that kid.

“Want to go wash your face properly now? You look like shi-... Fuck, I mean you look awful.” Crap. You tried not to swear in front of them and you went and did it anyway. Good going, you were tainting the mind of the purest kid on this planet. At least you got a smile out of them before they ran off to the bathroom, door slamming shut behind them. You could hear the muffled sounds of running water.

“Hey, everything alright up here? No Fib-ulas.” Sans walked in, taking in the scene. The watery smears down your front and the discarded picture lying at your side. Welp, you were screwed. Sans was usually chill but you'd learnt the hard way how protective he was.

“Huh. Where's Frisk?”

Or not. You silently thanked him for his mercy.

“Bathroom.”

The tap shut off and the bathroom door opened, Frisk ran over to Sans and almost disappeared in the thick fluff of his blue winter jacket as they dove in to hug him. They looked non the worse for their ordeal, beaming up at Sans. You were glad.

“Hey, Dunkle Sans?” They both loved that nickname, it suited Sans perfectly.

“Yeah kid?”

“Wanna come play with us? We're doing drawings!” 

“I saw. Sure thing, I got time.” 

He then proceeded to draw nothing but cartoon bones for the next two hours while you and Frisk defiled them with moustaches and bow ties. You headed downstairs for an early lunch break. After lunch Tori came up and joined in with the games. Not long after that the doorbell rang, you'd almost forgotten about the whole 'life changing house move' thing. Toriel answered and Mettatons robotic lilt carried up the stairs.

“Blooky stayed at home, wasn't feeling up to leaving the house today I'm afraid. Where's our darling kitten?” Apparently all the monsters were dead set on using anything but your name. You grabbed your new backpack, the old one had been ruined when you'd bled all over it, and threw on your coat before trotting down the stairs, Frisk following close behind. Sans and Toriel were already waiting for you downstairs. You hadn't heard him go down the stairs. He did that sometimes.

“Kitten?” You arched a questioning brow at him.

“Of course darling! You're our very own alley cat!” Alley cat, really? Wait, that wasn't far off the mark. Well, seeing as his reasoning was solid enough you could let it slide, you couldn't say you appreciated the whole kitten business though. Better than boss. You still didn't get why the kids called you that.

“My child, I know I've said this before but you are always welcome here. I'm sorry we could not have you stay longer.”

“It's fine Tori, you didn't have to have me at all.”

“Well then kitten, lets be off. Blooky is so looking forward to seeing you again!”

“Heh, see ya around bud. Furry sorry we couldn't send you off with a round of a-paws.” 

You gave all three of them one final hug before leaving, Frisk hadn't said anything other than a simple goodbye, you'd likely be seeing them all the time anyway. Besides, you'd already made plans with the kid. 

Mettatons house was only ten minutes away, not too far from where Paps, you would be willing to bet you'd be spending a lot of time at the other monsters houses, they were a close-knit bunch. You were lucky to have them, Frisk too. It may well have only been a ten minute walk but damn, it felt like forever. You were freezing your butt off, it so cold that it might even snow soon. It was December, not like it wasn't the season for the cold stuff. 

The house wasn't what you'd been expecting. Knowing the robot you'd expected it to be more flashy, all bright colours and shapes, you hadn't expected the place to look so... normal. It wasn't bland or boring, just average. It felt nice, welcoming even. The layout was similar to Tori's place, probably because all the houses round here were build around the same time.

You walked through into the living room, almost tripping over Napstablook. 

“Ummm, what are you doing?” 

“Oh, just lying on the floor... feeling like garbage...” 

Well that was strange and oddly relatable.

“Why?”

“It's a family tradition, can't say I care for it much anymore. Anyway darlings, I've got to leave for a shoot, toodles!” 

Did he seriously just say 'toodles'? He turned on his high heels and headed back towards the front door, turning slightly to look at you over his shoulder... spike thing. Did he just wink at you again? You should really get round to asking him about that. It didn't matter now anyway, he was already out the door. 

You look down at the unmoving spectre at your feet. They look content.

“Mind if I join you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooooooooo this is a thing thats gonna happen. Probably. Reader has to sort themselves out before they can start planning (not that thats ever stopped Frisk). i may or may not have come up with the idea for the brands and the institutes on the fly and have now made reader a fully developed angsty past so sorry if that bit seems a bit odd. there has to be something to explain what happens to witches, right? 
> 
> another fun fact: Goat son nearly wasnt in this. no really, i came up with the entire idea for the fic based around this idea and it was the first thing i cut out when planning. good thing i never stick to the plan! (i hope)
> 
> and finally, the skelenotes:  
> What were the chances of that?  
> Who kno  
> it happened tho  
> Srs bsns  
> goat son needs help  
> reader is just confused the fuck  
> I love dunkle   
> why have I not used this before  
> it's gold  
> thanks tumblr


	13. let there be robot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> idek

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have all the self control of a small child (not Frisk) so have another chapter

Mettaton hadn't exactly been lying when he said he had to get to a shoot, he really did have a shoot, well, yesterday. He comforted himself with that as he strutted to Papyrus's house, ringing the doorbell and stepping back, one hand on his shapely hip. The door swung open, revealing the tall armoured skeleton.

“Hello there my sweet.”

“METTATON! YOU LOOK GREAT TODAY! NOT THAT YOU DON'T ALWAYS LOOK GREAT. IN FACT, TODAY YOU LOOK JUST AS GREAT AS YOU ALWAYS DO!” Cute, he was practically tripping over himself after only four words. 

“Why thank you darling! Can I come in? I want to talk to you about something.”

“YES, OF COURSE YOU CAN! TAKE A SEAT, I'LL GO GET THE SPAGHETTI! BOSS LET ME TAKE THE LEFTOVERS FROM YESTERDAYS DINNER!” 

“No darling I'm afraid I can't be staying too long now. I just have to ask you something.”

He seemed happy at the mention of the new house guest, Mettaton had to push away an uncomfortable and frankly unwarranted pang of jealousy. He didn't know what to think of the new human, though he was at least certain that neither they or Papyrus had any interest in each other. Not in that way anyway. Pesky emotions, always showing up where they weren't wanted. 

He perched as gracefully as he could manage on the uncomfortable sofa, only jumping a little when the skeleton sat close beside him, eagerly looking into his eyes. Suddenly choked up, Mettaton cleared his throat with a polite cough.

“Well Paps dear, I was wondering... would you like to go on a date? With me. And you. A date with me and you. Together.” 

He had to take a moment to let how badly he'd messed up sink in. In his head it had sounded perfect, just swing by and secure a date. He closed his mouth and forced his expression into something more confident looking, or at least he hoped that's what his face was now doing. 

“METTATON, I HAD NO IDEA YOU FELT THAT WAY ABOUT ME! I, IN ALL MY GREATNESS, AM LOST FOR WORDS! WHICH IS SOMETHING, I KNOW A LOT OF WORDS! ALLOW ME A BRIEF MOMENT TO THINK ABOUT WHAT WORDS I SHOULD CHOOSE IN ANSWER.”

Mettaton had to keep himself from jumping out of the window, as it was it had already been replaced several times in the last few months. Until now he'd never understood why Papyrus and Undyne broke so many windows. He was mortified. What was that? It was awful! Good going, what a useless hunk of metal he was! Like Papyrus would ever want to go out on a date with him when he couldn't even ask him out properly! Even Frisk had managed to get a date with the skeleton, though admittedly the child did flirt with everyone. Wait. So did Mettaton. Maybe he should have just stayed home and joined his cousin with the family tradition. Maybe he could still go back, Pretend the imaginary photo shoot had been cancelled.

“I HAVE FOUND THE RIGHT WORDS.”

Mettaton had to force his voice to work over the audible whirr of his cooling fans.

“Yes Papyrus?”

“YES.”

“That was only one word darling, luckily that was the one word I wanted to hear.”

“I AM GLAD TO HEAR IT!”

Mettaton had let his usually perfect composure slip in his panic. Of course Papyrus would want to date him, after all he was great! They both were, it's why they were so perfect for each other. Apparently he hadn't managed to get his composure back in time, since he found himself wrapped around the skeleton in a tight embrace. He pulled himself away, playing it cool. Raising his voice so he could be heard over those accursed fans was a pain. He'd have to talk to Alphys about making them quieter, though they only ever seemed to become a problem around Papyrus. 

“Excellent, how about dinner tomorrow?”When Papyrus didn't object he continued “I'll pick you up at six.”

“THAT SOUNDS WONDERFUL! IF I COULD TIME TRAVEL I WOULD USE IT SO I WOULD NOT HAVE TO WAIT A WHOLE DAY!”

He felt so silly for ever worrying. Papyrus was a real sweetheart, of all the monsters he'd ever know Papyrus stood out. He was kind and caring, always so full of energy, everyone who met him should rightfully love him on sight. There go those noisy fans again.

It worried him that someone as sweet as Papyrus could have had so few friends back in the underground, though it would be hypocritical of him to be angry at the other monsters. Hadn't he himself been guilty of the very same crime? Worse still, he distinctly remembered meeting him a few times on his way through Snowdin while making deliveries for the snail farm. Back then Mettaton had been much more reclusive, only staying long enough so as to not seem rude. Oh how he regretted that now! Thank goodness he had this body, it let him be the star he'd always believed he could be, none of the old fear of failure. Well, almost none. Sometimes he'd catch himself slipping into old habits.

“Well Papyrus, I'm terribly sorry to cut this short but I'm afraid I must take my leave. I have an appointment with Ms Muffet about our new friend. Now there's a talent that would be a crime to let go to waste.” 

He didn't mention that he himself had quite the sweet tooth, sweet foods had been his favourite since he gained the ability to eat corporeal foodstuffs. He hoped that if the kitten started working for Muffet that he might have a ready supply of the stuff without having to deal with all the hassle of going out to get them himself. As much as he loved his audience he had to admit they could be a little... clingy. He would find a way to pay of course. Maybe he could accept them instead of rent money? It wasn't like he needed any extra money, though he doubted the human would see it that way, humans were odd when it came to matters concerning currency. 

They both stood, awkwardly making their way to the front door. 

“Terribly sorry to leave so soon, you know how Muffet gets when she's kept waiting.”

“YES. YES I DO. I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND METTATON.”

Mettaton was about to go, feeling giddy now that the fact Papyrus had agreed to a date had really sunk in, when he felt a bony hand wrap around his arm. He stopped dead in his tracks. Turning back towards Papyrus, who was blushing that adorable orange colour. It suited him.

“BEFORE YOU GO I WOULD LIKE TO DO SOMETHING.” 

Without giving him time to answer Papyrus leaned in, closing the space between them as he pressed their faces together in a rough approximation of a kiss. Mettaton was left stunned, he hadn't expected his favourite skeleton to be so bold! A coy smile worked its way onto his face as Papyrus practically threw him out the door, muttering something about lips.

“GOODBYE METTATON. SEE YOU TOMORROW!”

“Goodbye Papyrus.” He was speaking to the door that had already been closed behind him. He'd think it rude coming from anyone except Paps, he was too nice to have meant anything bye. Sure enough he heard a muffled “Sorry” from the other side of the door. 

“It's quite alright dear, I'll see you at six!”

He was already looking forward to it. He had so much to do! He'd have to book a table at a suitably monster safe restaurant, pick an outfit, do his make up and a plethora of other things. This date had to be perfect. He might even look over that dusty old manual he'd gotten as a present that he had definitely not memorised front to back. 

But first, it was time for business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wanted mettaton to come in earlier to develop this but it didnt feel right so just... straight into this thing why the hell not. I hope i wrote him okay i have no idea it was like 4am when i did this. the next chapter's pretty short as well, sorry.
> 
> Skelenotes:  
> ooooooo new perspective ooooooo  
> Everytime I write papyrus it tries to autofill to papyton4lyfe  
> I aint even mad  
> Have some awkward papyton lmao  
> I want those dorks to be together  
> Mettaton is totally a dork don't even lie


	14. time for business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mettaton looks after his friends

Mettaton sauntered in to Muffets bakery just in time, as far as their mutual respect stretched he didn't want to risk being late for this. He pushed all thoughts of his upcoming date with Papyrus out of his mind. He needed to concentrate on the task at hand.

Mettaton prided himself on looking out for the people close to him, after the events of the last few days in the underground he'd come to realise just what a lonely life he'd lead and had been working tirelessly ever since to fix that. He'd be nothing without his friends and family, which was precisely why he wanted to help his newest guest get back up on their feet.

He was glad to note that none of the produce on the shelves contained spiders. It seemed Muffet had given up on that particular business practice.

Speak of the spider.

He turned his attention to the spider monster standing prim and poised before him. She stood behind the counter, hair pulled into neat little bunches, clothes as impeccable as always.

“MTT, it's been too long!” she smiled in welcome, showing off her fangs.

“Ms. Muffet! I can't begin to express how sorry I am, time just seemed to go so quickly once we left the underground.”

“Ahuhuhu~, no mind, it's forgotten,” she leant over the counter, two sets of hands clasped in front of her, watching him intently with all five of her eyes “so tell me, to what do I owe the pleasure? I'm sure a man as busy as yourself wouldn't have the time just to say hello?”

“Quite right darling, I can to ask a favour of you.”

“Oh?”

He put on his best nonchalant act, letting any form of nervousness show in front of Muffet was a dangerous game, she was ruthless when it came to all things business, she wouldn't like having to pay another worker. He'd have to sell the idea to her.

“I happen to have a new house guest, they treated everyone to a homemade meal last night and I couldn't help but notice something special that I thought that you could benefit from.”

“I'm listening deary, do go on.”

“Well, they brought out the most amazing array of puddings, pastries of all shapes and sizes. It was truly a shame you weren't there to see it Muffet, they were divine.”

“Yes, I think I see where you're going with this already MTT. So, tell me, what do you get from this should I take your little friend under my web, hmm?”

Mettaton chuckled. She was interested, now he just had to convince her it was worth the effort.

“Muffet, this wouldn't simply be an act of charity. This person is a human, they have no job so aren’t in any position to turn you away and they have already befriended many of the high ranking monsters, their talents, not just baking, could be of use to you. As for me? I gain their favour, trust me when I say that is enough for me. I look after my friends.” Even Mettaton knew that was a stretch, but he wasn’t wrong. The favour of a witch was something special, even if he didn’t know it yet.

Muffet narrowed her two largest eyes, suspicious. “There's always a catch deary, I suggest you hurry and tell me. My dear, while Muffin may still be in the underground but don't think I'd hesitate to wrap you in silk and suspend you from the ceiling. Muffin loves his gifts all wrapped up.”

“Oh my, there’s really no need to be so crass. You're right enough though, there's a catch. Nothing major I assure you. It appears that the human is a witch, though they've been honest enough about it. What's a bit of magic to stand in the way of such an opportunity?”

“No deal. I've heard the humans talking, no witches. Now leave unless you'd like to see me follow through on my little promise.”

Mettaton reeled, he knew that a lot of humans had an issue with magic, but for Muffet to react in this way? He'd thought her above such prejudice. Perhaps there was more to it than he knew. She always had a sharp ear to the ground, a reliable source of gossip. Now was not time to press her about why she so quickly rejected such a promising offer at the mention of the word 'witch'.

“Oh? Did I mention that they're close, to our beloved ambassador?” She still appeared unconvinced, though she looked less like she was about to hang him from the ceiling “That's right, word is they used to take care of the fallen child before they came to liberate us, without them none of us would be where we are today. Don't you think we might owe it to this human to at least give them a chance?”

“I don't care about the politics behind this MTT, Frisk is a good friend of mine and a valuable patron. Don't think I don't see what you're implying, though it's true I do still owe them for helping my brethren back in the underground. Tell you what MTT, I'll give this witch a chance. Bring them to me first thing in the morning and I'll see exactly how good they are.”

“Excellent, I'm glad we could come to some agreement. You won’t be disappointed I can assure you.” He winked, turning and walking quickly away before she could rope him into anything.

No one could accuse him of being a bad friend, not anymore. In just one day he'd given the little alley cat a home and the chance for employment. He hoped Muffet would forget her apparent dislike of witches once she'd seen the kittens’ skills. He wasn't lying when he'd talked about their talent, they'd all been genuinely surprised to find out that they hadn't worked in a kitchen in years. He'd even heard Toriel asking for a copy of whatever recipes they'd used, one of the highest compliments he'd ever heard bestowed from the queen. Her skills in the kitchen department were known throughout the underground even years after her retreat into the ruins, truly legendary.

He headed back home, ready to break the good news. Blooky may even have finished feeling like garbage. MTT certainly had a busy day ahead of him tomorrow. He'd have to be sure to leave ample time for his date with Papyrus and all it entailed. It simply wouldn't do to be late. He also found he'd quite like to be kissed by the skeleton again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't even know, I wanted reader to have a job to do with the monsters but idk, Grillby's is done a lot so i chose Muffet instead because who doesn't love the cute spider lady with cannibalistic tendencies?
> 
> skelenotes (i didn't really plan much since it's really short haha):  
> I now have a job  
> Probably  
> I should add muffet to the tags oop  
> I forgot  
> i unforgot   
> nice  
> Mettadork is smooth sometimes


	15. breaking the news

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you chill with napsta and metta, long talks and other stuff

Mettaton arrived back just in time for dinner, looking just as pristine as he had when he'd left. Not even a hair was out of place. From the look on his face things at the shoot must have gone well. Good for him.

You'd spent a good hour laying down beside Napsta. You had to admit you did feel better for it after, you could have sworn that after you got used to the sensation that it felt like you were looking straight into the furthest reaches of the universe. You hadn't wanted to move and spoil the illusion (at least, you assumed it was an illusion), but eventually your stomach had ruined it for you by growling loudly, stupid basic human needs. You'd been enjoying yourself.

You and the ghost had migrated into the kitchen, both making two different dishes. Napstablook showed you where things were and how to work the various machines, including a dishwasher, which meant washing up would be much less effort.

They made their strange ghost food as you watched on in awe, it looked to you like they infused their own magic into whatever it was in that bowl set in front of them and used their magic to shape it into rough food like shapes. It was interesting to watch them recreate your lasagne with the translucent stuff. No cooking involved. They'd watched you prepare your meal almost as intently, apologising profoundly for silly things like floating in front of the cupboard you were trying to get to and not knowing where the spices were kept. You had to remind them a couple of times that you were the one intruding in their kitchen.

You'd had a good time alone with the ghost, you'd found them to be good company, especially once you'd both started to feel more comfortable around them. You still struggled to think of the small ghost as the one who'd created such wonderful music. When you'd asked them about it they'd offered to let you watch them work after dinner, who were you to turn down such a kind offer?

“Hey Mettaton, want something to eat? It's lasagne.”

“Anything made by you would be divine darling.” You took that as a yes, so you scooped out two servings onto plates, downing a small glass of water before moving to pick up the two plates.

Mettaton took one of the plates from you with a “Thank you kitten.” and led you to the sofa, you sat next to Mettaton while Napstablook took the armchair across the room. You'd figured out by now that the sheet ghost liked to keep to their own space. You could respect that. It was still weird being called kitten, but it looked like that nickname was sticking.

You had to admit, your first impression of Mettaton was that he was slightly annoying in a spoiled diva kind of way. Now you'd spent a little more time around him you'd come to realise he was much more than that, sure he had a flair fr the dramatic but he was nice. He loved his cousin in much the same way as Sans loved Papyrus, it was obvious how much both families had been through a lot together and were better for it. You felt a little envious.

You took the plates out, loading them in the dishwasher. You might as well be of some use if you were going to be staying here from now on. Maybe in the future you'd be able to think about getting a place of your own. You'd need a job first though.

“Kitten, have you been wondering how me and blooky are so different?” Mettaton caught your attention with a practised ease.

“I mean, a little. I just thought it might be a monster thing.”

He gave a breathy laugh, as if amused by the suggestion. “Stranger things have happened I suppose, but no. Truth is I used to be a ghost too, though I shan't bore you with the finer details, Dr Alphys helped me build this body. I must say, I'm extremely fond of this form in particular, can you really blame me? Though all three are simply wonderful to have.”

“Three?” You vaguely remembered the rectangular form you'd first seen him in, assuming that counted as one, as well as the one in front of you, what could the third be?

“Oh yes, there's this form, EX, my box form, and NEO. That last one hardly ever gets to see the light of day anymore, just no need for it. It really is just for looking at since Alphys removed the weapon capacities.”

“Um, weapons?”

“You needn't worry about that, they were only there to make up for the fact that NEO has a few communication issues with my soul, wasn't even worth fixing. I much prefer the other two. Don't run around telling people about this now though.” He looked pleased to have you as an audience. How many people had he actually told all this to? Was there any reason he was telling you this now? If he'd ever mentioned it on stage you'd certainly never seen it, though admittedly you were fairly new to the MTT franchise.

“Blooky dear?”

“Yeah Metta...?”

“Have you given any more thought to getting your own corporeal form?”

“I'd love to but..................oooohhh.”

“Blooky's never quite worked up the nerve to talk to Alphys about it, I can't do it in case I appear to be forcing them into it, it's another family tradition. We have two other relatives who both decided on training dummies, who knows why. You'd never know when someone was about to mistake you for a non-sentient dummy!”

“Alphys is a nice person. I'm sure she'd figure something out.” You glossed over the rest of his ramble, instead focusing on Napstablook who was sitting there looking dejected.

“That's what I've been saying all this time kitten.”

“Well if Metta can't go with you then I could go instead? If you're okay with that.”

They looked to each other, some unspoken message you couldn't even begin to decipher passing between them.

“That's a wonderful idea, maybe you'd like to go other our design ideas later? We spent a lot of time trying to design blooky the perfect body. They deserve nothing but the best of course.”

“Sure, they said they'd let me watch them work later anyway.”

“Oh did they now?” He raised an eyebrow, the question aimed at his spectral cousin. You wondered for a moment what Mettaton was like as a ghost. Probably not too different to what he's like now, after all, he'd still be the same guy.

“...........Yeah.”

The conversation ended soon after, leaving behind a pleasant silence. It gave you a chance to catch up with everything that had happened.

A warm feeling had worked its way over you without you noticing, a contentedness that almost made you start purring. Or fall asleep. Maybe you deserved your newest title, though you'd be lying if you said you weren't dreading how many awful cat puns Sans and Toriel would get out of it. That one stray thought set you off on a tangent thinking about the other monsters.

Usually around this time Frisk would be playing to wear off one of Toriels dinners, you could almost see them jumping around, playing along with Sans and working together setting up pranks to catch unsuspecting victims. Most of the time they'd ended up getting you, still half asleep you'd sit down for breakfast only to find you'd sat on a whoopee cushion and someone had loosened the lid on whatever bottled substance there was to hand. Once Frisk had switched the ketchup with hot sauce. Sans downed the lot, staring Frisk down as he did it. You'd suspected that Toriel was behind more than a few of the pranks, though you'd never actually caught her and she'd deny it to her dying breathe if you'd ever dared call her out on it. Papyrus usually visited their house in the evenings, armed with tales full of daring tales and brave deeds, most of them over dramatised versions of everyday occurrences, like the time he'd waxed poetic about his grocery shopping. He'd been talking for almost an hour, just getting to the cashiers before a little white dog appeared seemingly out of nowhere and distracted him by running off with his cape. He never did finish the story.

Later on in the evening Toriel and Sans would tuck Frisk into bed together, sometimes Frisk would ask for a story, though you only ever heard the low rumble of Sans' voice and the occasional louder bleat of Toriels laughter from your spot in the spare bedroom, nothing at all if you were still downstairs. Once Sans was finished he'd disappear off to his brother’s house, if Papyrus wasn't staying round Toriels. The brothers loved each other’s company, they had been living together in the underground for years after all. You'd had to put Frisk to bed yourself once when the other two had gone out together for the evening. They hadn't asked for a story then, though they still managed to worm their way into your bed when you weren't looking. Toriel and Sans had found it hilarious when they'd gotten back, Toriel easily lifting the little twelve year old and carrying them back into their own bed.

Alphys and Undyne were probably curled up together watching anime, they seemed like the sort of couple that would do that, Alphys had already proclaimed her eternal love for anime and though Undyne might pretend to be more cool about it you got a vague idea that she was maybe even more into the stuff than her girlfriend.

MK and the rabbit girl (you still hadn't caught her name and it was a bit late to ask) would be with their families, though you had no idea what they'd actually be doing.

It hit you in that moment just how much was changing around you, how it was changing you. Before meeting the monsters you never would have opened up like this, not for anyone. It was easier to get along with the monsters, knowing none of them could judge you for your magic since their very being relied on their own magic, however different it was. You felt bad that other than the three kids, none of your newfound friends knew exactly what kind of magic you used. You hoped you'd never have to reveal it to them, you didn't want any of your friends to get hurt. You and Frisk had that in common. You'd both do anything to keep your friends safe from harm.

You snapped out of your stupor, if you stared at the wall much more then you might burn a hole in it, you didn't want to go around breaking things so soon. It was only your first night here, plenty of time for accidental wall burning.

“I've got some news kitten!” Mettaton's melodic voice cut through the silence, you swallowed and waited for him to continue, which he did after an agonisingly long pause “I've found you a job! Well, you'll be tested on your abilities first of course, it's no big deal I've seen what you're capable of in the kitchen and I know you'll be just fine.” It was a good thing you hadn't still been eating or you would've choked. You settled instead for gaping like a startled fish (sorry Undyne). Had you heard that right? Maybe he'd been talking to his cousin. A job?

“What? Where? When? How did you...?”

“My dear, I have connections. I stopped by an old friends’ place on my way back and she agreed to give you a chance, really it was nothing.”

“Does this friend know I'm a witch?” You wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth but you had to know, you'd learnt the hard way what keeping that little secret from your employers got you.

“Oh yes, I told her. She didn't seem to mind too much, though she did say it might work against you.” You didn't believe that at all, but you didn't think Mettaton would outright lie. It was probably a half truth, which at least meant that whoever it was was still willing to take you, magic and all.

“Her name is Muffet. She runs a bakery, everyone loves it there. I heard Frisk goes there after school sometimes. I'm sure you two will get along just fine. She can be a bit of a handful though, do try to be civil.”

“Uh, wow. I don't know what to say, thank you. Really.”

You bit your lip to try and hold back your tears. In the last few weeks you'd been given everything you'd been missing, a home, friends and now a job? It was no use, you were crying now. Mettaton handed you a tissue. You wiped the warm droplets away, smiling.

Napstablook had drifted over to you, hovering awkwardly.

“Can I show you something...?”

“Y-yeah of course.” you choked out.

You hadn't expected him to start crying right along with you. Large, milky white droplets fell from his eyes, though none of them actually hit the ground. In an amazing feat that defied physics, their tears were flying upwards, coming to rest on top of their head. It looked like they were merging together to make something. You watched on in awe as after a few moments there was a fully formed little top hat on their head.

“I call it dapperblook.... do you like it...?”

“You look great., I love it!” You were smiling like an idiot but you didn't care, had they done that because you were crying? “Thanks for showing me!”

“........................................................................Oh..........” They faded away quickly, taking dapperblook with them. Mettaton had been smirking at the two of you the whole time, though you only just noticed it as the spectre disappeared.

“Kitten, let me ask you something. Don't hesitate. Simply say the first thing that comes into your mind.” He leant towards you, eyes shining.

“Would You smooch a ghost?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhhhhh okay ima just be honest here, I'm not too happy with these next few chapters and i've been holding off posting them, i think it's 'cause my brains skipped ahead a few chapters and it's difficult for me to focus on these ones as much. At least i have some idea of where the stories going...?
> 
> skelenotes:  
> apparently im chillin with the ghost crew now?  
> Hey blooky why dont you get a body like mettaton  
> it would look great on u  
> wait MTT, dude  
> do you ship me with ur cousin  
> that is weird  
> same  
> I ship me with your cousin  
> I would totally smooch that ghost  
> heck yeah!


	16. lost

The next day was hell.

First Mettaton woke you up at the ass of dawn after your first decent night’s sleep in ages to take you to the bakery, repeating over and over exactly how important it was not to be late for any of your shifts ever unless you had a damn good excuse. That really helped you feel good about this.

Once you'd arrived at the bakery you'd discovered that your potential employer was a frankly terrifying spider woman (you weren't sure that judgement wasn't coloured by your childhood fear of spiders) who insisted you spend half the morning baking whatever she told you do alongside a couple of blind taste tests, which had been the easy bit. You were treading on eggshells at first, the spider lady put you on edge with her poorly veiled threats and odd tendencies, though after a short while you began to adjust to her presence better. After every new batch she would try one, passing more around to spiders that would appear from seemingly nowhere, though she didn't tell you until after how well you'd done.

“Well deary, I can't fault your work and you seem a decent sort.” she said, before handing you a rota with your name already filled in and a uniform in your exact size (you decided not to question it). “That's yours. Don't be late or you'll regret it~” You left soon after that, the sound of her tinkling laughter following you out the shop, it sounded a lot like china cups clinking together.

After that you found yourself at a loss. Mettaton had already disappeared off somewhere, leaving you to find your own way home from the bakery. You could probably find your own way back, but you wanted to explore the area a bit more.

An hour later and you found yourself completely and totally lost. Great. You’d started thinking about the question Mettaton had sprung on you out of nowhere and gotten distracted and very lost. You didn't even have a phone or anyone's number to call if you did, what if you couldn't find your way back yourself? Crap, there was no way you'd be able to just ask a random stranger. Well, you could but you didn't want to.

Hadn't you spent years exploring this city? How had you managed to get lost? You should have learnt from bitter experience that your sense of direction was poor at best. Unless you found somewhere you'd been before you had no idea where you'd be hopelessly lost forever. Wow, this really sucked. Nothing to do but to wander around some more and hoped one of these roads spat you out somewhere you knew. Stupid Mettaton, leaving you alone like this.

You'd been drifting around for what seemed like hours now, you still had no idea how you were so lost. You weren't exactly panicking, more a nagging worry.

“YO PUNK WAIT UP!” Was that Undyne? That sounded just like Undyne, and when you turned round there was a muscular blue and red fish monster barrelling at break neck speeds towards you, probably had Undyne been who yelled then. “What are you doing here! You live like, miles away.”

“I got lost.”

“Wait how did you get- You know what never mind this is priceless.” She started laughing loudly, head thrown back, thumping your shoulder hard as she spoke. Ouch. You knew she was strong but you'd never actually been on the receiving end of that strength. Again, ouch. “Wanna come hang? Alphys is home.”

well, you had nothing better to do.

“Yeah I'd love to, but how will I get back though? I'm kinda lost anyway.”

“pffft, we'll take you dork. C'mon follow me!”

She walked quickly and in long strides, you almost had to jog to keep up. She asked a lot of questions, the two of you hadn't really had a chance to talk alone yet. You knew the two women lied somewhere near where your old alley was, though you had no idea how you’d go about finding it, and Frisks warning from where you’d thought about going back still hung over you. Nope, you were still completely lost. They were mostly about Frisk. You had plenty of stories about the little tykes’ misadventures, much to Undynes delight. You'd just finished recounting an old story of the time when the kid flirted with a coffee shop barrister for thirty minutes straight while you were shopping, you'd returned to find the poor barrister a red flustered mess and Frisk just sitting there cool as a cucumber, when Undyne took a sharp turn up the path to her home. 

Undyne opened the heavy door with all of her usual vigour and then some, all but running through the hallway to tackle the very nervous looking Alphys. The door appeared wooden but it was cold to the touch and heavy, more like metal than any kind of wood you knew of. You followed in after Undyne, closing the not-wood door behind you.

“H-hi there. Not to be r-r-rude but w-what are y-y-you doing here?” Her usual stutter was made worse by her nervousness. And maybe worse still now that Undyne now had her slung over one of her shoulders like a sack of flower. You all headed in to a small living room. It was cozy and warm.

“They got lost so now they're gonna hang with us for a bit, that cool with you babe?”

“Y-yeah, of course!” she turned her attention back to you “Do y-you l-like anime?”

You weren't surprised in the slightest to find that you'd been spot on in your assumption that they were the type of couple to spend the evening, or apparently most of the day, curled up together watching anime. You'd never really had the chance to get into it yourself. It looked like fun though. You told them as much.

“Great! We're watching Full Metal Alchemist!”

“B-brotherhood, not '03.” Alphys added, like you'd even know if there was a difference.

“Yeah! It's so cool, they got this magic stuff, but they call it alchemy and they FIGHT!” Undyne was geeking out before you'd even sat down. All the heavy furniture had been securely wielded to the ground. With Undyne around, you guessed it needed to be.

Alphys, who had already set everything up ready before you'd arrived, pressed play on the remote and you switched your attention to the screen, leaning back into the comfortable cushions on the opposite end of the sofa than the couple. You almost felt like a third wheel, the pair were sat practically on top of each other. It was cute. How bad could anime really be?

As it turns out, very bad. Bad in the emotions department, great everywhere else. You'd been suspicious when at one point in the story they'd both swivelled round to watch you, though you kept your focus on the screen, surprisingly into it. You thought Nina was cute. Time and episodes slipped quickly by.

“Ed...ward.”

Nope. You lost it. You don't know what you lost but it's gone and you don't have it. You weren’t crying, it was just raining. You were too tough to cry over a glorified cartoon. Maybe your soul had left your body. Who would even do that! You honestly hadn't expected that fricking twist. Undyne and Alphys were cackling, this clearly wasn't their first time watching it.

You got a little further than that before you remembered that you'd promised Napstablook that you'd look over the designs for their body (it felt weird even thinking that) and maybe even watch them work. Neither of them had minded and they both agreed to drive you home, Undyne ribbing you (literally, you think she left bruises) about getting lost on the way from the car to the front door. You weren't going to be living that down any time soon.

They dropped you back at around half eight, you thanked them both profusely for everything, Undyne especially. As much as you were all joking about it, you had no idea if you would've made it back if Undyne hadn't spotted you and helped. Even then, she could have just pointed you in the right direction, instead she invited you into her home. Once again you found yourself marvelling at how kind the monsters had been to you.

You headed indoors, planning on grabbing a sandwich and finding Napstablook while you ate. You hadn't expected to see Mettaton anxiously pacing back and forth while looking at his phone. Napstablook hovered nearby.

“Hey Mettaton, what are you doing?”

He looked up, startled at the sound of your voice. He looked worried.

“Papyrus hasn't answered his phone. He said he'd call me as soon as he got back and it's been almost an hour now! I've called twice and he's not picked up.” The robot looked frantic now, eyes wide and limbs twitching periodically, almost like he might cry or lash out at any moment. You almost felt the same, Papyrus practically lived on his phone and he never broke his promises if he could help it.

“Want me to go look for him?”

“Oh kitten, would you? Sans is already out there. You don't have to go.”

“I'm going.”

Of course you would go, you wanted to help. You cared about Paps, though you had a very bad feeling about this.

“I need to go grab some stuff first. Won’t take two seconds.”

You darted away and sped up the stairs, your backpack was in your room. You dug through it until you found what you needed, throwing on a short sleeved shirt as well. If anything bad happened showing your brands might just help you. Your pocket felt heavy, not just with the weight of its contents, but it was a necessary precaution. You didn't waste any time heading back down the stairs, where Mettaton stopped you for a moment to press his phone into your hands, looking into your eyes with an almost startling intensity.

“If you find him, call Blooky.”

You nod and brush past him out the door. It had been less than five minutes since you'd come back. You would trace the way back to Paps’ house first, desperately trying to get a sense of his soul the whole way. You probed at your magic, pressing it against the veil of death, thankful when you didn't feel that any souls had passed it in the immediate area.

The air outside was even colder than before, though you ignored it now. Instead you focused your senses and your magic on searching. You rounded a corner onto the street Paps lived on. Sans was standing at his front door. He looked ready to kill. You certainly felt it.

“Sans!”

“Kid, go back. I got this. It might not be safe out here.” You knew what he meant of course, he'd only seen you at your weakest. He had no idea what you were capable of, and frankly, neither were you.

“I'll be fine, you found him yet?” You didn't know why you bothered asking, neither of you would be here if you knew where the tall skeleton was.

His face darkened, the lights in his eyes disappearing completely, leaving nothing but inky black.

“N o.”

You nodded. Papyrus wasn't at home, even Sans couldn't find him and he wasn't answering his phone. Papyrus was in trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry that was a weird place to leave it wasn't it? Anyway, thanks for reading!
> 
> skelenotes:  
> I am not lost  
> totally not lost  
> I know exactly where im not  
> how far away did I wander away to find Undyne  
> very far, but now I'm gonna go chill with 'em  
> ima super weeb okay fma is my fav dont judge


	17. An old friend

“I'm gonna try something. Humour me here.”

You had no idea how else you could try to find Papyrus. You hadn't even tried to do this properly since you were 15, during your final few days at the institute. Just another memory you'd pushed into the darker recesses of your mind. You closed your eyes so you could focus on your magic, letting it flood through you. A wave of nausea hit you, punishment for not exercising your abilities for weeks. You opened your eyes again when you finally got control of yourself, the world fading to black and white except for the gentle pulse of the monster soul beside you.

You were panicking and you knew it, though you tried not to show it in front of Sans.

You stood in the veil between life and death, the air around your living body was turning cold, the energy being sucked out of it. Magic was complex, weird. You’d often wondered if your mind was just rationalising how you were using your powers to make it easier for you, not that you’d know the difference even if it was.

You adjusted your focus, Sans and Papyrus were brothers, it made sense that their souls would share some traits that might aid the cause. San quickly recoiled when you first pressed your consciousness against his own, pushing you away. You got the fleeting impression he was afraid, maybe you should have given him more warning before doing that.

“I said humour me Sans.”

The next time you tried it he flinched but didn't pull away. You used his soul as an anchor, a starting point for your search. Usually you wouldn't be able to see very far, a few feet at best, though now with Sans as the anchor you could spread out and probe then area with a much larger radius, though you were careful not to accidentally draw energy from the skeletons soul. You frowned as you pushed you mind outwards, sweeping the area for any sign of Papyrus. Nothing. You released Sans and shook your head slowly. That had never been one of your talents, you'd failed back then as well but you'd had to at least try. You weren't even sure if you were doing it right to begin with.

For his part Sans was managing to keep his cool. Meanwhile, you were begging to fray at the edges, plum out of ideas. You could search all night and not find him, you both knew that.

You felt an odd presence on the other side of the veil, it was tugging at you, trying to catch your attention. It took another moment to realise that you'd felt it before when you pulled the rabbit girl back. It felt like it was trying to show you something. You couldn't see what from where you were, standing between life and death, so you crossed over. It was probably a very stupid thing to do. You did it anyway.

You couldn't stay on this side for long, death would drain your soul of all its energy bit by bit, so you had to make this count. You could already feel yourself beginning to grow cold. The figure was standing (Floating?) right in front of you. it was definitely sentient. It also appeared to be trying to say something, though all you could hear was static.

It was huge, a dark swirling mass that towered above you. By all rights you knew something like this should terrify you, but there was something comforting about the mass. It gave off a warmth that had no place being in something as cold as death.

After a while (you couldn't measure time very well on this side of the veil) the figure seemed to notice you were staring blankly at it and it sagged, shrinking in on itself. It folded in on itself, shifting away from you then returning. It did this twice more before you realised what it was doing, it wanted you to follow it. You made to move after it but it froze, growing taller again. Wasn't that what it had wanted?

It shrunk down even more, now it was only just larger than you, still a swirling mass. Oh, it wanted your physical body to follow it. Sure, why not follow the strange spirit that, as far as you knew, shouldn't even exist?

You did it anyway, pulling yourself back into life and ignoring the frost that had formed over your clothes and the creeping exhaustion that threatened to overtake you. You kept half an eye on the veil, feeling where the...thing was trying to lead you and following. You were vaguely aware that Sans was following you, maybe he thought you had half an idea what you were doing.

The figure sped up and you found yourself breaking into a quick jog to keep up, it was leading you back to the same park you'd first met the rabbit girl at those few short weeks ago. Sans was going to kill you if this turned out to be a wild goose chase. You'd probably let him, especially if anything had happened to Paps.

Before you knew it and after way too long the park was before you, illuminated only by the few lights along the central path and the night sky above. You slowed when you saw two familiar figures sitting by a bench, moving into the shadows so you wouldn't be seen.

“Sans?” You looked around, not seeing him. You must have left him behind when you'd started to pick up speed. Somehow his absence set you on edge. That didn't stop you from walking towards the two though, determined to find out what the hell was going on.

The strange figure had disappeared when you'd first spotted the pair on the bench, it had lead you right to them. To Papyrus and the woman who sat with him, you knew her but you couldn't figure out how yet.

The two appeared to be talking animatedly, oblivious to everything around them. You could hear Papyrus's voice from twenty feet away, though the woman's voice seemed to get louder and quieter randomly. Even her voice seemed familiar.

Before you could even consider creeping any closer Sans soundlessly appeared next to you and caught you by the arm. He'd been nowhere in sight until then, and the dull crackle of his magic receded when he spotted where you were looking. Though he still had his hackles up.

“What are they doing?”

“Don't know, I'll get in closer. Sans, if anything happens then you step in, okay? I... I know the person there. Trust me, please.”

“Ok.”

Wait, really? You thought he would've put up more of a fight than that.

You took a step closer, so did Sans.

“Sans, stay back.”

“Ok.”

The skeleton was still matching you step for step.

“I mean it Sans.”

“Ok.”

You were both standing only a few feet away from the bench now, pausing your cautious approach since you were close enough to overhear what they were saying. They appeared to be talking about... Hair? This was surreal, why was a conversation about hair important enough to make him forget to text Mettaton or draw him out so far away from his home?

He got even closer to the bench and you mentally punched yourself for forgetting what a shit Sans could be sometimes. If the situation was any less tense, then you just knew he'd be wearing a shit eating grin. You decided to one up him by stepping into the light of the path, the widest grin you could manage fixed on your face and murder in your eyes.

The woman on the bench made a wild gesture with her hands, bare arms catching the light of the lamp beside the bench. She had silvery scars running up her forearms, though even they couldn't obscure the brands that perfectly matched your own. Another witch.

You closed the space between you and the bench in a few short strides, only then did either of them notice you.

“What are you doing, sister?” You hissed, not letting the smile slip from your face even as you spoke.

“EEP! OH my gosh don't hurt him we're just talking he wasn't doing anything bad to me I swear!”

“Why would I hurt Paps?” Sans chose that exact moment to appear behind the bench, though the woman was too busy staring at you to notice him. Paps had started sweating nervously, not that you could really blame him.

“Smiler is that you? WHAT THE HELL I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!”

“Ummm...” You looked at her more closely now at the mention of your old nickname, she had choppy brown bangs which were just a few shades lighter than Frisk's and a pale oval face. Her clothes looked well made, form fitting and probably expensive. Really not suitable wear for midwinter. Your earlier glimmer of recognition growing to something more, a whole plethora of memories practically punching you in the face. “Bagsy...?”

Bagsy took that exact moment to notice Sans lurking behind them, letting out a loud screech that made you jump, fake grin turning into something genuine as you laughed at them.

“What are you even doing here Bagsy?”

“Oh my god, you can't seriously be asking me that? You're supposed to be dead! I got all sappy and everything! And Sans, you nearly gave me a heart attack!” Her incredulous tone only made you laugh harder, by now tears were practically running down your face. You hadn’t even noticed that she apparently knew Sans.

“Wouldn't know pal, I'm a skeleton. I literally don't have a heart.”

“That was awful. I love it.”

“AH, HUMANS! YOU KNOW EACH OTHER? AND SANS, STOP.” Paps piped up, as if he hadn't accidentally scared you and most of the monster population half to death... well, technically he had actually scared you to death but that's not the point, he'd given you a real scare.

“Yeah Paps, me and Smiler here go way back!”

Something was nagging at the back of your mind, there was something you were meant to do... Shit, you had to call Mettaton and tell him Paps was safe! The poor guy was probably terrified!

“Guys I gotta make a call.” you made as if to walk off but caught the woman's mischievous look “Bagsy, I don't know what you're about to say but don't you dare.”

It was a futile effort, the moment you turned your back you heard a “So this one time they...” You rolled your eyes and unlocked Mettatons phone, searching his contacts (surprisingly there weren't that many, it must be his personal cell) until you found Napstablook and called it. Mettaton picked up instantly.

“Have you found him!?” There was an intensity in his voice you'd never heard before, you felt bad for not calling sooner.

“Yeah, he was with an old friend of mine. I think he knows them somehow.” 

“Kitten, are you sure Papyrus is okay? Why didn't he call me!”

“He seems fine, Bagsy can be very... distracting. I'm sure Paps didn't mean to worry anyone.”

Mettaton made a little 'hmph' noise and told you to hurry back before saying goodbye and hanging up. The call took less than two minutes.

Two minutes in which Bagsy had managed to befriend Sans, you had no idea how she managed it, first time you met him he'd tried to kill you. There was the whole 'Papyrus mysteriously disappearing' thing she had to answer for as well. It was almost like…

“Smiler! Just in time, I gotta head back soon.”

“Do you guys know each other?”

“Uh, yeah?”

“We have to talk.”

“Aw sweet, a sleepover!”

“What the fuck Bagsy.” Not what you meant. How in the ever-loving fuck did she draw that conclusion? That girl was still as erratic ass ever.

“A SLEEPOVER? OH GOODIE! SANS, I'M GOING FOR A SLEEPOVER!”

Papyrus hadn't actually been invited but you weren't about to tell him that now when he looked so happy, neither was Bagsy by the looks of it. Sans probably wouldn't let him go anyway after the scare he gave everyone.

“Hehe, sure thing Paps. Whatever you want.” Sans looked almost as tired as you felt, he had dark bags under his eye sockets. Clearly he wasn’t thinking straight. He still managed to give you a look that perfectly conveyed a message of 'look after him' with a friendly hint of 'or else' though you were probably imagining that part since he actually looked quite happy. He must just be glad Paps was okay.

“I can’t, I’m borrowing someones phone and they’ll be wanting it back sooner rather than later.” They both looked utterly dejected “but I’m sure Mettaton will want to see you Paps, you worried him.

“WHY WOULD METTATON BE….” He glanced down at his own phone, which he’d pulled out of his chest Armor “OH NO THE TEXT MESSAGES DIDN’T SEND!”

“Did you say Mettaton? Like THE Mettaton? Are you pulling my leg right now?” Bagsy literally lit up with excitement. 

“Yes. And no you can’t come with us. You are meeting me right here at umm,” You suddenly remembered you had a job and that you’d be working until it was dark “do you know where the spider bakery is? Meet me there at one tomorrow.”

“Jeez Smiler, thanks for the warm welcome. Of course I know where the bakery is, Muffet’s a bro.”

You looked round and realised Sans was nowhere to be seen, you could have sworn he was right there a second ago so where did he…? 

“DON'T WORRY ABOUT SANS, HE DOES THAT SOMETIMES. HE'S TOO LAZY TO WALK PLACES. SO HE DOESN'T. HE JUST GOES THERE WITHOUT THE WALKING.” That sort of explained a lot but also didn't explain anything. At least you hadn't been imagining all those times he'd just appear or disappear. Bagsy just nodded sagely like it all made perfect sense.

You were glad that everything was fine, that poor cell signal was all that was wrong, but Bagsys’ sudden appearance back in your life worried you, what was she doing here after all this time? And why was she talking with Papyrus in such a far out area?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh yikes i hope you guys like where this is going. Bagsy has her own story now (lap cat) but both stories are separate entities and can make sense without the other so you don't have to read if you don't want to! 
> 
> skelenotes:  
> ngl im freestyling this  
> impulse writing ftw  
> by which I mean I couldn’t get it right the way I planned  
> so have a whole new thing  
> and character  
> who is getting her own story  
> hope u like it  
> nice  
> haha paps is fine i'd probably cry if i hurt him


	18. Napsta

You opened the door to your newly appointed home only to be ambushed by a low-flying robot. He didn’t spare you any more than a quick glance before he leapt on Papyrus, who’d been following sheepishly behind you the whole way back. He’d seemed to shrink more and more the closer you got to the house after he’d finally realised how much panic he’d inadvertently caused.

 

You smiled ruefully and shook your head, edging past the two. You didn’t take it personally, everyone had been worried about Paps. Mettaton was busying himself by holding the skeleton in a death grip and sobbing milky white tears. Even his glossy black hair was matted and wild, his usually perfect makeup, that up until now you’d assumed was an actual part of his face, was running down his face in messy black smears. He looked even more of a broken down mess now than he had when you’d left. Papyrus was sweating nervously. His arms were pinned to his sides by the robot, rendering him immobile.

 

“Papy darling I was so worried!”  Mettaton whined and buried his face in Papyrus’s ribcage. What was that sad sounding whirring noise? It sounded like it was coming from the robot. You thought that this might be something of a private moment so you edged past them and slipped up the stairs, surprised when you almost walked straight into (or through) Napstablook, who’d been drifting unnoticed at the top of the stairs. You offered up a quick apology.

 

“What happened, is everything okay now…..?”

 

“Yeah, it’s a bit of a weird story actually but everything’s fine now.”

 

“Good. I’m glad… Metta was really worried.” They made as if to drift off down the hall but your earlier promise flickered back into your memory.

 

“hang on, you still want to show me the stuff for your body?”

 

“……….okay…”  they paused “I thought everyone forgot. That’s fine though… I’m used to it.” Something inside you melted then, they said it like it was nothing, somehow that just made it sadder and all too familiar.

 

They led the way down the hall to their room/studio. The room was sparsely decorated, a computer set in one corner and a simple bed in the other. You wondered if they even needed the bed what with the whole ghost thing. They had a few decently sized drawers as well, though there were still a few stacks of cd’s on the floor. It was a nice room, a lot of open space and not a speck of dust anywhere. Understandably the monsters had a thing against the stuff, you’d seen more than enough dust yourself. The walls were pale, the floor uncarpeted, though there was a simple round rug in the middle of the room. From up here you couldn’t hear anything that was happening downstairs, giving the other pair their privacy.

 

You perched yourself on the bed, noting how soft and springy it was, while they headed straight to the set of draws closest to the computer and pulled out a thick sketchbook marked with brightly coloured post-it notes before closing the draw and sitting next to you.

 

“Here you go…”

 

You watched them as they flipped through pages of sketches, most of singular body parts or strange looking mechanisms. The little ghost was humming a simple tune as they flicked through the pages, they looked happy and you waited patiently for them to find what they were looking for. They eventually stopped at a double page spread around halfway through the book.

 

You gasped.

 

There were two intricate designs in front of you, though one really stood out to you. The basic design was similar to Mettaton’s, though the colour scheme was completely different, brilliant white and blue rather than black and pink. The hair was two tone, shoulder length vibrant blue layered under pure. glossy white and blue panels where Mettaton’s silver ones were. The body was similarly coloured, though the boots weren’t nearly as tall and dramatic as the cousins equivalent. For one thing they were more like ankle boots than high heels. In a way, the body suited the little ghost perfectly, it was beautiful. You told them as much and they gave an adorable little blush.

 

“Yeah… I like that one best too.”

 

The other design was flashier, probably Mettaton’s influence. You were too taken by the other design to really pick out many of its finer details. It hit you then that each and every picture in the book, even the ones that were crossed out, was very well drawn. The cousins must have spent hours together working on this, you felt warm and fuzzy at the thought.

 

While you were looking at the sketchbook Napstablook had been staring down at their phone, like they were waiting for it to ring. They almost looked a little lost.

 

“….I could call Alphys now.”

 

“As long as it’s what you want then go ahead. Alphys is nice, she won’t bite.” They stared at the phone a moment longer then dialled. You realised that you were beaming at them as they waited for the other monster to pick up. A genuine smile, you were happy that your housemate had worked up the courage to make the call.

 

The volume was turned up loud enough that you could hear both sides of the conversation.

 

“H-hello?”

 

“…….Hi Alphys.”

 

“Napstablook? H-hi, what’s up?”

 

“Uh…….” They turned and looked to you like a child in a doctor’s office with a parent. You nod to the sketchbook. “Well… You made Mettaton a body and…. I…. I was wondering if maybe…………….”

 

“U-uh…?”

 

“Could you make me one too…?”

 

A long moment of silence.

 

The silence continued.

 

Napstablook looked like they wanted to cry.

 

The silence was broken by a high pitched squeal, you half expected the phone speakers to break because of it.

 

“YES!!! I WAS HOPING YOU’D ASK- METTATON SAID YOU WERE THINKING ABOUT IT AND I DIDN’T WANT TO BELIEVE HIM IN CASE HE WAS WRONG AND YES! YES, I WILL!” Her squealing turned to screeching real fast.

 

“…..yay!” aww, cute.

 

“O-okay we need to meet up and discuss this, are y-you free tomorrow? We can plan what you want then and then maybe-“

 

“Oh… Sorry.”

 

“Huh? Napstablook, i-if you’re not free then w-we ”

 

“We’ve already got a plan… Mettaton helped me…”

 

“Oh, then that’s even better! I’ll come round yours tomorrow and y-you can show me everything you’ve got.” Her voice was level and calm now, nothing like her earlier outburst.

 

They carried on talking for a bit before saying their goodbyes and hanging up, when you looked at them you saw that the little ghost was positively beaming, they were even glowing.

 

“Thank you…. I hope I wasn’t a bother…” Their smile faltered a little. You moved before you could think not to and flung your arms round them, squeezing them softly. They were as huggable as they looked.

 

“You heard her, she was ecstatic.”

 

“Do you still want to listen to music…? It’s not much though…”

 

“Heck yeah!” that was the second time you found yourself saying those words in a matter of days, though you’d been rather on the spot the last time. You blamed Mettaton and his ‘say the first thing that comes into your head’ thing for the heat rising in your face. Napstablook didn’t notice, they’d already dug a MP3.1 player (Monster things were weird) and begun to scroll through a myriad of songs. You didn’t really pay attention to what they were doing, opting to watch them instead.

 

They weren’t glowing anymore, but they still looked content, a soft smile on their face when they made a decision.

 

“This is one of mine… I hope you like it.” Your heart skipped a beat. Hell yes you liked it, you were yet to find one of their compositions you didn’t like, even if you didn’t know this one it still seemed to speak to your soul. Like much of their music it had a very Halloween feel, though this one had a slightly different vibe to it too. It sounded green, an array of shades woven together into a melody, though you had no idea how that would even work, could sounds have colours? 

 

You hummed contentedly, as the music played. Track after track rolled by. Most of them were unknown to you, when you asked they revealed that a few were from the new album they were working on or some unreleased songs. You felt privileged that the spook would let you listen to such precious commodities. The two of you didn’t speak much, just enjoying each other’s company. You were still tired from your earlier attempts at using magic, hardly even noticing as your eyelids grew heavy and the dark tides of sleep claimed you. You didn’t even realise that your warm pillow was a very flustered little ghost.

 

What you did notice were the looks Mettaton was giving you when you went downstairs the next morning. You noticed it when Napstablook turned bright pink and excused themselves quickly. You were confused for a long moment and then the memories of the night before hit you like a brick.

 

Oh.

 

Oh no.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> k so i've not had as much time to write because college is getting busy again. I should still be posting fairly regularly on both stories since i'm cutting down more on the time i spend editing than the amount i write (usually i sit down and write 2-3 chapters at once and edit before i post them) 
> 
> Skelenotes:  
> also how friggin ironic  
> im chillin with ghosts  
> and I bring souls back to life  
> whats up with that  
> awkward flirting with sad ghost child  
> no not cole  
> thats the wrong fandom  
> a very different thing  
> what is it with me and sad ghosts  
> i love them so much  
> An exclamation mark, on your ghost? It’s more likely than you think!


	19. Hot mess

Mettaton was a mess. Not even a hot mess, he was just an ugly mess. The robot was wound tightly around his newly appointed boyfriend still standing in the hallway, feeling that if he dared to let go the other man might disappear from him forever. He couldn’t stop cursing himself for not walking his date home himself. Sure, it had turned out to be okay and the kitten had even brought Papyrus back with them, but that didn’t make him feel better at all. _He_ should have been the one out looking for Papyrus, not some human he’d only met a few days ago. Mettaton had promised himself he’d look out for the people he cared about and he’d failed. Papyrus could have been hurt, maybe even worse, and he wouldn’t have been there.

 

“I’m sorr- I’M SORRY METTATON.” his skeleton was too quiet, he sounded so… so very lost. Any hidden resentment Mettaton might have felt towards Papyrus quickly drained away, instead he dragged his moping partner out of the hallway and onto the living room couch where it would be easier and more comfortable to talk. He deposited his newly returned phone on the coffee table and promptly forgot about it.

 

“Pappy darling, it was an accident. You don’t need to apologise, we overreacted.” A bitter chuckle escaped him at the half truth. Honestly, the reaction was justified given the monsters tenuous relationship with the humans, but that wouldn’t help calm Papyrus. He sighed and reached an ungloved hand to the skeletons femur, earning him a slight, watery smile.

 

“YOU MEAN IT? EVEN THOUGH I-”

 

“Dear, please don’t beat yourself up like this. Not after our wonderful date.” Mettaton tried to distract him before he could blame himself too much.

 

“YES, IT WAS QUITE A DATE! THE BEST I’VE EVER BEEN ON! UH, DON’T TELL THE TINY HUMAN I SAID THAT. I HAVE ALREADY BROKEN THEIR HEART ONCE BEFORE. I MUST SAY THOUGH, I HAD NO IDEA YOU’D BEEN READING THE DATING MANUAL I GOT YOU SO THOUROUGHLY!” So it was Papyrus who’d given it to him! He’d been racking his circuits trying to remember but had only ever drawn a blank. Wait, why had he given it to him? Unless…

 

There go those darn fans again.

 

“Um-mm P-Papyrus?”

 

“YES METTATON?”         

 

“Why did you give me the dating manual?” There’s no way. No way he could have been so oblivious as to miss-

 

“BECAUSE I LIKED YOU! I THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY RIGHT THAT MY FAVOURITE SE-UH-VERY ATTRACTIVE RECTANGLE KNOW ALL THE PROPER DATING TECHNIQUES!” He grinned and posed in a way that would make Mettaton proud if he’d been paying attention “METTATON ARE YOU OKAY?”

 

Mettaton could not compute. Pink irises replaced by little buffering symbols, even his cooling fans had cut out, causing heat to rise up on his face in a way he didn’t know it could.

 

“O-oh dear… Papyrus I… I had no id-dea, I don’t know w-what to say.”

 

“NYEHE HEHE! I HAVE RENDERED YOU SPEECHLESS I SEE! DO NOT FEAR, FOR MANY HAVE BEEN THWARTED BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”

 

“R-r-really?”

 

“WELL, NO” he started sweating nervously “BUT YOU ARE WORTH THE SAME AS MANY PEOPLE TO ME, SURELY THAT COUNTS?!”

 

“H-h-huh… y-yes, quite. Yes. You’re too sweet my d-darling.”

 

“ARE YOU SURE YOU’RE OKAY? YOUR VOICE SOUNDS STRANGE. NOT BAD STRANGE OF COURSE, YOU COULD NEVER SOUND BAD, JUST DIFFERENT THAN USUAL AND IT IS CONCERNING.”

 

Mettaton could guess why, with his cooling fans out of action his vocals were starting to do… something and it was affecting his speech. He wasn’t about to tell Papyrus that though, he’d just have to have a stern word with Alphys the first chance he got.

 

“Of c-course, everything’s f-f-fine.” He took a moment to properly compose himself again “oh! I almost forgot something!”

 

“???” Papyrus had once again transcended actual speech, somehow making a verbal noise that sounded just like ‘???’. Just another one of the tall skeletons oddities Mettaton had grown to… really like a lot. He could almost swear he’d once watched the man walk on air back in the underground through one of Alphys’s hidden cameras. They were his second favourite thing to watch back in the day, after his own shows of course. Was that creepy? It wasn’t like he only watched them for Papyrus, he just liked to hear what his fans thought of him. That young Frisk’s journey just happened to involve Papyrus… well, honestly that had been when he’d started to see him as more than just another viewer.

 

“Why Papy dearest” He fluttered his eyelashes and gave his best award winning MTT brand pout “We didn’t have a goodbye kiss after our date!”

 

“ACK! HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN!”

 

A moment of silence.

 

“Well dear, how about you _make it up to me.”_ He added a wink for good measure, hoping he’d take the hint.

 

“OF COURSE! I WILL MAKE YOU MY VERY BEST APOLOGY SPAGHETTI RIGHT AWAY!”

 

“No, thank you. I actually had _something else_ in mind.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, if it worked for the child ambassador surely it could work for him. He still had no idea how a child could be so shamelessly flirtatious.

 

“BUT YOU SAID I NEEDED TO- OH METTATON REALLY, HOW LEWD!” lewd? He’d just been asking for a kiss. He seemed to remember a certain skeleton kissing him before they’d even been on a date. That wasn’t even in the rulebook! A kiss at the end of a successful date most certainly was thank you very much, chapter five paragraph seven in fact. Lewd indeed. He huffed indignantly.

 

Next thing he knew Papyrus was straddling him. He was suddenly glad his fans were on cooldown, especially when Papyrus seemed very intent on kissing him senseless. After a shocked second he realised that yes, Papyrus was _very much_ intent on kissing him and actually showed no signs whatsoever of stopping. He’d hinted too hard. He wasn’t complaining, instead returning the action with equal enthusiasm once he’d recovered from his momentary confusion. It was extraordinary that a man with no lips could kiss like Papyrus could and most definitely was doing. To think he’d once thought Papyrus was too innocent for this sort of thing. Well, how innocent could he really be if he’d read all of the dating manual, some of the later chapters were rather descriptive after all. A few even had pictures.

 

This carried on for a while, until the loud buzzing of his phone against the wooden table snapped him out of his skeleton induced reverie. He cursed inwardly, who would be calling him at this time anyway? He ignored it for as long as possible until Papyrus pulled away from him. Darn. He’d been hoping whoever was calling would give up.

 

“METTATON, PLEASE ANSWER YOUR PHONE.” He didn’t exactly sound happy to be disturbed either. Reluctantly Mettaton relented, reaching over to the coffee table and picking up the offending article. He registered with a dull mix of annoyance and surprise that it was Blooky calling.

 

“Blooky? Why are you calling me?”

 

“…………. Um…Metta?” They sounded flustered. That makes two of them.

 

“Yes blooky?”

 

“They uh…. They fell asleep on me.”

 

“Aww, so?”

 

“Help me.” He squealed. Mettaton found himself laughing, a high tinkling sound that sounded almost suspiciously like an edited voice clip from one of Alphys’s silly animes’. “Metta don’t laugh, help me!”

 

“Okay okay, I’ll be up in a moment.”

 

“Right… thanks.” Then they hung up and Mettaton found himself laughing so hard he had to wipe tears out of the corner of his eyes for the second time that evening.

 

“Papyrus, you simply have to see this!”

 

And so it was that the skeleton and the robot, both fully grown and mature adults, crept up the stairs giggling like schoolchildren and down the hall to Napstablooks room as quietly as they were able.

 

And oh what a sight it was awaiting them. The human witch was using his dear cousin like a pillow, curled up tight against them with their arms clamped round the tiny ghost. Not to mention that they were half draped over the spook, effectively trapping them. All while sleeping peacefully, like they didn’t have a care in the world. The sight alone was almost worth the disruption. Almost.

 

In an amazing feat of self-control neither of the two men gave more than a quiet giggle, though even that was enough to make Napstablook glare at them.

 

“OH NO NAPSTABLOOK, THE HUMAN HAS CAUGHT YOU IN THEIR TRAP! THAT’S THE WRONG WAY AROUND!” Papyrus, despite his voice being no louder than a whisper still somehow managed to fill the room with its mere presence. He made a note to ask him how he did that later.

 

“Mettaton…” The trapped ghost whined pitifully, pleading with their big round eyes for mercy. How could Mettaton resist them when they were giving him that face?

 

“Okay darling I’ll get them off of you and take them to their own room.”

 

He tried, he really did. The kitten almost seemed like they were wielded to his cousin, much like Alphys and Undynes furniture was wielded to their floor, the humans grip was like iron. He was almost afraid he was about to get pulled in and be equally as trapped or that he’d pull too hard and hurt the human. No matter what he did the human stayed stuck tight to Blooky, who for their part looked like they wanted to disappear. They couldn’t of course, the most they could do was turn invisible and that wouldn’t be helping anyone, least of all themselves.

 

“Little help please?”

 

“OF COURSE!”

 

Between the two of them and a great deal of teamwork they eventually managed to prise the unconscious human away. Somehow they’d hardly even stirred throughout the whole ordeal, lucky them. If his beloved hair and makeup weren’t already ruined he’d have half a mind to scold the two when the human woke up. Papyrus carried the sleeping kitten to their own bed while Mettaton stayed behind to tease his cousin some more.

 

“Blooky really, what were you doing to get into such a tangle. Honestly, I can’t believe the two of you!”

 

“Mettaton noooooo… We were just listening to music after I called Doctor Alphys and they fell asleep…… I thought it might be rude to wake them up.” Mettatons’ eyes went round with surprise.

 

“You called Alphys?”

 

“They helped me to do it….”

 

“And…?”

 

“Doctor Alphys said she’d come round tomorrow to look at the plans…”

 

“Oh Blooky that’s wonderful! And you say the kitten helped you?”

 

“Yeah….” They had a small, happy smile on their face and MTT realised they were refusing to meet his eyes. The pieces fell into place and a sly grin edged its way onto his delicate features. His cousin had a crush!

 

He was going to have _so_ much fun with this. First he was going to tell Alphys _everything_ , that girl was shipper trash if he ever saw it. She’d eat it up, maybe even write one of her silly fanfictions about it. After that he’d tell Muffet. There’d be no escape for them then, maybe she could trip the kitten up into admitting something of their own feelings, or maybe Mettaton and Muffet could have a good laugh at someone else’s expense. Of course he was no better than either of them, his little stunt the other day was still fresh in his mind. He almost couldn’t wait to see their face when they found out Blooky was still in the room when he’d asked them if they’d smooch a ghost, though he knew it would be that much better if they figured it out in their own time. At the time he’d mostly just been teasing, was he ever glad he’d done it now!

 

Papyrus stuck his head round the door, beckoning Mettaton out into the hallway with him, still speaking quietly.

 

“METTATON, I THINK I SHOULD BE HEADING HOME SOON.”

 

“Papyrus, no. You’re staying here tonight. I’m not letting you out of my sight for anything.”

 

“BUT METTATON!”

 

Mettaton forced himself to breathe past the uncomfortable knot of fear that had worked its’ way into his chest area. There was no way he was letting Papyrus leave the house tonight.

 

“Look, sugarskull, you’re staying here and I won’t hear any more talk of you leaving. You can sleep on the couch if you don’t want to share a bed with me but you are not going anywhere.”

 

“SUGARSKULL…?”

 

“Yes darling, because you’re such a sweet skeleton,” Papyrus looked positively giddy “now come on it’s getting late and I’ve been on power saver for the last hour.”

 

“WHAT, WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME!”

 

Mettaton chuckled at the skeletons apparent alarm, it was written all over him.

 

“Don’t worry my sweet, I just need to recharge. Are you coming with me or sleeping downstairs?” He tried to keep the hope out of his voice. Papyrus rested his chin in a hand and appeared deep in thought.

 

“HMMM… WELL I SEE I HAVE NO CHOICE! I WILL JOIN YOU IN YOUR BED TONIGHT!” without realising he’d let his voice grow a bit louder and they both heard a small noise come from Blookys room. It sounded like they’d choked on a laugh.

 

“…OOPS.”

 

“Let’s just get to bed now, sugarskull.”

 

As Mettaton powered down to charge he felt bony arms wrap around him and heard his boyfriend mutter goodnight. He was filled with contentment, easily forgetting that ‘sharing a bed’ didn’t come until much later in the dating manual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have you ever imagined you did something so vividly that you're genuinely surprised when you realise you didn't actually do it? Yeah that's what i did with writing the next chapter of this and chapter 3 of Lap Cat. oopsies. I'll get on that.
> 
> Skelenotes:  
> Mettaton is sad  
> Paps is sad  
> Lets fix that  
> ;)  
> Note: I’m cringing while writing this yikes  
> the reader and blook are safely behind soundproofed walls  
> Thank heavens can u imagine if they were hearing this  
> Yikes that would be awkward  
> Omg blooky r u ok  
> Oh wow human that is the funny  
> Oh, did u want a date chapter? Well, TOO BAD  
> For now  
> Dw guys I gotchu  
> U just gotta wait


	20. Breakfast spaghetti

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a butt and just plain ol' forgot that time was a thing. Just a reminder that there's a second fic called lap cat that can be read along with this or on its' own (but if you're reading this here I'm guessing you'd read both) that tells Bagsys' side of the story a little more, it's also been suggested i make lap cat reader(Bagsy)xMuffet? I'm game for the idea but it would be cool to have some more input :D

You hadn’t been planning on changing into your new work uniform until after breakfast, not wanting to accidently ruin it before you even got to work. True, you were only having toast but still, you couldn’t be too careful.

 

Mettaton was on his phone, casting very conspicuous and not-even-trying-to-be subtle little glances over at you and Napsta. If you didn’t know better you’d almost think he wanted the two of you to know what he was doing. You had a strong suspicion that the damned bucket of bolts was telling all his friends about the more embarrassing side of last night’s happenings. Unfortunately, his friends were your friends. Oh boy. You weren’t going to be living that down anytime soon were you?

 

You rolled your eyes at him, instead opting to throw an apologetic smile Napstablooks way as you pass them by. Honestly, you’d happily fall asleep on the lil spook again, they were the best pillow you’d ever had. Not that you were willing to admit that to either of them, you’d embarrassed yourself more than enough in the last few hours.

 

You enter the kitchen and nearly faint from shock. There, surrounded by what can only be described as utter carnage, was Papyrus. You hadn’t known that he’d stayed the night, though you didn’t remember hearing him leave either. Well, you had been asleep for a long while. Had he slept on the couch? What should have been the spare room was yours now, not like there were many other options for the guy. You wondered briefly if it would have been uncomfortable for him on the couch, Sans could (and often did) sleep almost anywhere, but the two were so different that you couldn’t be sure that wasn’t just a Sans thing.

 

You pull your shell shocked mind back to the present.

 

The walls and pretty much every surface was seeped in splatters of crushed vegetable matter, a vegetoids worst nightmare, even the cute potted palm plant in the corner hadn’t escaped a coating of reddish slush (its’ name was Cecil, there was a matching Carlos plant in the living room. You felt there was a reference you weren’t quite getting there somewhere). The pots on the stove were throwing out an alarming amount of smoke, if the doors and windows weren’t open the fire alarm would be going crazy by now, and was that cardboard in with the noodles? Good thing you’d opted to wait to get changed into your uniform, no way you wouldn’t get any of this mess down yourself.

 

Of course you’d heard stories of Papyrus’s cooking misadventures from Sans, but this was the first time you’d really gotten the chance to see it for yourself. You were torn, part of you wanted to sweep in and stop the madness while the other wanted to let the guy be, he looked happy enough with his frilly ‘kiss the cook’ apron. Before you can move more than an inch in silent retreat, he spots you.

 

“AH! BOSS HUMAN, YOU’RE AWAKE.” He looks delighted, almost glowing with happiness. “SINCE I FEEL I MUST APOLOGISE FOR MAKING YOU WORRY SO MUCH AS TO COME AND FIND ME LAST NIGHT SO I AM MAKING YOU MY VERY BEST BREAKFAST SPAGHETTI!

 

“Hey, it’s fine. Actually I guess I should thank you if anything.” You were inwardly cringing at the thought of eating whatever it was the skeleton was cooking. Your inner chef was curled into a dark corner of your mind, rocking back and forth in denial. Nope, no breakfast spaghetti for you, nuh uh. But then again, would Paps think you were refusing his apology if you didn’t eat? Maybe you’d give it a chance after all (you could hear your inner chef sobbing at the thought), you didn’t want to upset Papyrus.

 

“???” First of all, how did he make that noise? Second, what was wrong with good ‘ol words? You shift to lean against one of the cleaner parts of the kitchen counter, you heard Mettaton say something in the other room but it wasn’t directed at either of you.

 

“Well, if I hadn’t gone out to find you I might never have found Bagsy. I knew she came from around here but we’ve never crossed paths before. I wasn’t even sure if she moved back here or not.” Actually, Bagsy was a huge part of the reason you’d chosen to live here after you’d run away, she’d once told you her family lived near Mt. Ebbot and this was the only city close to the area. You’d only realised after that you’d have no idea where to even start looking for her, not that you’d tried.

 

“REALLY? I’VE KNOWN THE BAGSY HUMAN FOR ALMOST AS LONG AS I HAVE KNOWN YOU. OF COURSE IF I’D KNOWN THAT YOU WERE FRIENDS THEN I WOULDN’T HAVE HESITATED TO GET THE TWO OF YOU TO MEET IMMEDIATLY.” You don’t really know what to say to that, ‘it’s a small world’ didn’t quite cut it.

 

“I wouldn’t say we were friends exactly, not in the end at least. I’m not really sure what we are anymore.”

 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN?” Papyrus’s voice was loaded with something you couldn’t understand. A protective streak you wouldn’t have expected from the skeletal ray of sunshine showing through.

 

“She didn’t tell you?” He shakes his head slowly so you continue “The last time I saw her we argued and well, stuff happened and I ended up having to run for my life.”

 

“OH! SO IT WAS YOU SHE TOLD ME ABOUT!” uh. Okay. “WE RAN INTO EACH OTHER LAST NIGHT AFTER MY DATE WITH METTATON AND SHE DID NOT LOOK OKAY SO WE TALKED.” A date. With Mettaton. This was news to you. Well that certainly explained why Mettaton was so upset last night if the two of them were dating. How would you feel if your partner went missing right after a date? You didn’t know, you didn’t have a partner. You’d only recently found friends. You could imagine it was a pretty bad feeling though. Okay, maybe that wasn’t what you should be focusing on here. Belatedly you realise Papyrus was still talking, sounding stern. “SO PLEASE DO NOT HURT BAGSY IN ANY WAY!” oh wow he was being all intimidating and there you were zoning out. Oops.

 

“Hey Paps, what’s that smell?” Burning. The smell, as you knew well enough, was burning.

 

 “…OH NO! I FORGOT ABOUT THE SPAGHETTI!” as he rushed off to tend to the ‘breakfast spaghetti’ you slinked away back into the living room. You don’t even want to know what the splattering noise was. It takes a great deal of determination not to look back and check. Your inner chef has left to go find a new, kinder host. You consider sending them a postcard.

 

You walk back into the living room. The first thing you notice is that Mettaton’s no longer perched on the sofa, the robot did have quite a commanding presence. The second thing you notice is a loud, synthesised gasp from upstairs in the direction of your room, almost as if the one gasping was waiting for you to walk into earshot. Mettaton storms downstairs and before you can so much as blink is holding you by the shoulders and looking at you more intently than you’d ever thought possible. His metallic fingers were digging almost painfully into the flesh of your shoulders.

 

“Kitten, darling, please tell me it’s not true.” His voice is tense and grating, like he’s just barely holding himself together. You feel a cold sweat coming on though you’re not quite sure why.

 

“Huh?”

 

“It’s scandalous! A crime!” He releases one of your shoulders to daintily sweep the back of his hand against his forehead “Such an atrocity!”

 

“Metta…. You’re scaring them….” Yes, yes he is scaring you.

 

“Your wardrobe! I appreciate that you’ve only been here a short while but kitten, really, it’s so _barren._ We’ll have to fix that immediately.” He dumps your uniform into your arms and unceremoniously pushes you out the room, even shutting the door behind you. Huh. Well, you can’t exactly tell him you weren’t going to wear it until you’d eaten after that display. You were still a little dazed from Papyrus’s kitchen antics and then you were ambushed with _that_. It didn’t even occur to you to wonder how he’d managed to hold onto your uniform without the use of his hands. You can’t quite bring yourself to be mad about how blunt he was. It was a sweet gesture on his part that he’d gone to get your uniform for you, even if he did indult your _selectively refined_ clothing choices. He wasn’t exactly wrong though, all your worldly belongings could fit into your backpack, it was hardly a surprise that you didn’t have many clothes to your name. To a guy like Mettaton it was probably just a shock to the system. Hehe, shock to the system. Because he was a robot. Sans and Toriel would have loved that one.

 

You head back to your room and change into the uniform, marvelling at the quality of the material. You’d never had anything like it before.

 

As it turns out, ‘breakfast spaghetti’ is just normal spaghetti (‘BUT EATEN AT BREAKFAST TIME!’) and that despite all appearances and prior expectations (plus or minus the odd slightly burnt patch) it tasted pretty good. You spent half the breakfast trying to ignore the doe eyed looks that keep passing between Mettaton and Papyrus and the way the former was singing the latter’s praises the whole while. The other half was spent making funny faces at Napstablook to make up for the fact they couldn't eat material foodstuffs Your inner chef has returned and has started pouting sulkily. You remember that you need them for your job at the bakery and thank them nicely for returning. You’re not sure why you’re treating them like a person to begin with.

 

A glance at the clock a few minutes later tells you that it’s time to leave. It was a fifteen-minute walk at most but you were leaving twenty minutes before you needed to be there just in case. After all the warnings being late wasn’t something you’d even consider, especially on your first official day working. You were exited.

 

You arrive ten minutes early, earning you a nod of approval from Muffet. Though her eyes lingered on a small spot of sauce on your sleeve.

 

Darn it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a bunch of college deadlines and my own brain has been giving me grief so haven't been able to get much writing for this done, I didn't even realise how long it'd been since i last posted 'till i went to post this (oops)
> 
> If you guys want to shoot me questions i do have a tumblr and i'm always happy to answer questions (i was going to throw it your way before but wimped out haha): dude-againjustwhy.tumblr.com
> 
> Skelenotes:  
> Sorrynotsorry for that wtnv ref  
> Spaghetti breakfast  
> Idek not much is goin on   
> I had more planned but im a butt  
> A lumpy butt


	21. Chapter 21

Thankfully, Muffet overlooked the spaghetti speck ingrained on you uniform in favour of ushering you into the kitchen and handing you a list of your duties. You and a little spider monster (who you’ve dubbed Brian) are meant to be working together to keep the bakery well stocked between cleaning up after customers. It kept you busy, you even got over the uncomfortable prickling sensation you felt around the spiders pretty quickly. Heck, you’d even admit to enjoying the work. As the day wore on you found yourself feeling more and more at ease, even going as far as to exchange some playful banter with Muffet.

 

Around half an hour before your scheduled lunch break the door swung open and the little bell above it chimed merrily. At the time you were in the process of wiping down a table after another customer left a few coffee rings on it, your back to the door. You gave an involuntary strangled yelp when you were swept up in a tight bear hug from behind. You couldn’t breathe, the air being forced from your lungs by your unknown assailant.

 

“Smiler!”

 

Bagsy.

 

Damn, that girl was stronger than she looked.

 

“Air. Need. Breathe. Air.”

 

You were put down after one final crushing squeeze. That’s when you notice that Bagsy has company. A weedy looking man wearing a black cape/robe/thing with skin whiter than the flower dusted on your apron. He looked so pasty that you were almost worried for his health. He was staring at you like you were a holy figure, eyes round like saucers. It was more than a little unnerving, being looked at like the second coming of Jesus. Especially when you were covered in a fine coating of flour.

 

“Who’s this?” You try not to let your nerves show. They probably show.

 

“Oh right, this dudes Wisp.” Right. “He’s another witch by the way.”

 

“Okay, uh. Hi,” You can feel five disapproving eyes boring into your back “I’ve got to get back to work, my breaks in half an hour.”

 

“We’ll wait over there for ya.” Bagsy sashays over to a table in the corner, dragging a limp Wisp along after her. Over the next half an hour you feel them both watching you intently and try your best not to sweat too much over it, not used to that kind of attention. Or much attention of any kind if you’re honest with yourself, the last few weeks were a real shock to your system. You were a little surprised to see Muffet walk over to their table and chat with them briefly, though you didn’t hear much of what they were saying. After all, it was rude to listen in on other people’s conversations.

 

The time came for your break and you felt an odd fluttering sensation as you took a seat between the other two witches, the one called Wisp was still giving you that strange reverent look and Bagsy was clearly finding it hilarious.

 

“Dude, stop being a dork already, Smiler doesn’t bite” her face is deadpan, a look you’d seen often on Frisk when the kid’s about to… “hard.” Wow yeah, now that you think about it Bagsy and Frisk have a lot in common. You barely manage to hold back a snort when you catch the look on Wisp’s face, he looks _mortified._ It’s hilarious, you can’t stop grinning. You’re vaguely aware that Muffet’s keeping half an eye on your table, though you’re fairly certain she has been since before you sat down so you don’t pay any mind.

 

“Bagsy how could you just… I can’tbelieveyoujustsaidthat.” His words turned into a jumbled mess and neither you or Bagsy could hold back after that.

 

You laugh it off and so does Bagsy. She’s always had a nice laugh, you’d known her for years so you could say with some confidence that you knew her fairly well. Something about that laugh sounded off to you, why did she think she could get such a forced laugh past you? Sure, maybe you weren’t always the most observant person but still, you’d have thought you deserve more credit than that. Or maybe you didn’t, it had been a long time since you saw her last, yet alone heard her laughing.

 

“Wisp, dude, chill. Please. You made me bring you don’t make me regret it.”

 

Wisp blushes profusely and mutters something unintelligible before clearing his throat and speaking up again “Bagsy, we came here to talk, remember?”

 

“Yeah, like I could forget…” There’s an edge to her voice that makes your smile drop a fraction.

 

Wisp cleared his throat and turned to you, his dark eyes meeting yours with unexpected intensity.

 

“So you’re really Smiler? THE Smiler?”

 

“Uh, yeah. Are there many others?” He ignores your weak attempt at sarcasm and makes as if to continue, but Bagsy cuts him off before he could say so much as a word.

 

“Screw this, he came because the old network’s still a thing and he wants to know if it was you screwing around with the non-magic pricks. Which by the way, we already know it was.”

 

Well that was entirely unexpected, you’d half thought that you were about to be yelled at for not bothering to track her down and he was some kind of weird backup, not asked about shit you never bothered with. You at least expected her to be a little angry at you. And the network. The Network. You hadn’t even known that was still a thing, assuming that it must have been disbanded back when either you or Bagsy’d left the institute. Really it was just a small thing back when you knew it, maybe fifteen members at most. Just a bunch of foolish kids messing around doing stupid shit that could get them into trouble just because they could.

 

“What do you mean? I stay out of things like that where I can.” You can’t seem to break eye contact with Wisp, he smirks as you speak. It’s almost more unnerving than he was when he was looking at you before.

 

“Oh really? So you know another witch who can bring back the dead then? Honestly, you went quiet for the last few weeks and we were getting worried that something had happened to you before we could find you.” Bagsy gave him a look that said ‘I had no idea that was a thing’. You gave Bagsy a look that said ‘Bagsy I’m gonna kill you’ but she didn’t seem too bothered by it. Then you processed the last part of what he’d told you.

 

Oh my god. _Oh my god._ You burst into hysterics because dammit this was hilarious. Heck yeah ‘something’ had happened to you! It takes a few minutes for you to calm down enough to speak again, slapping a hand down on the table and wiping the tears from your eyes with the other.

 

“Yeah. I got stabbed.”

 

“What!?” they chime in unison.

 

You’re still grinning.

 

“I got stabbed. A lot. Toriel said over twenty times.” They’re both gaping at you now.

 

“W-well that uh, yeah that would explain it.” Wisp’s voice is really living up to his name at the moment, it’s barely even there. He clears his throat again, regaining his composure. Bagsy pouts, seemingly enjoying watching him squirm. “Anyway, you’re here now. Bagsy’s told me that you probably wouldn’t want to formally re-join M.Net” You guess that’s the network “so instead I have a proposition for you.” You’re still staring at him, it’s starting to feel like you’re a rabbit caught in headlights and the beginnings of an uncomfortable prickle are forming at the base of your spine.

 

“Sure, go ahead.”

 

You expect him to talk but instead Bagsy slowly slides a box across the table to you. It’s a little white box with a decorative red ribbon. They look at you looking at the box until it clicks that you’re probably meant to be looking at what was in the box instead of the box itself.

 

“Uh…”

 

A phone. A decent phone at that.

 

“It’s so we can contact you.” Suddenly this feels like an ambush. “Since you went quiet the number of attacks on both us witches and monsters have increased. For the most part we’ve managed to avoid any casualties but we’re not omnipotent. We slip up sometimes. With your talents we could save so many lives. From our understanding this is hardly different to what you always do, only now you’ll be better informed.”

 

“You know we used to use the network to sneak treats out of the canteen right?” you giggle at him. It seems so absurd, sure you were underplaying how important the network, M.Net now, really was. It was more symbolic, one small act of rebellion in a world where getting caught doing even that would spell disaster. It didn’t need to be said that you understood that it was so much more than just that now.

 

Over the last few years your past had been a constant shadow over your life, a weight on your shoulders that nothing, not even meeting and caring for Frisk, could lift. You’d only ever thought of the bad times, but now with Bagsy here you couldn’t help but to remember some of the better times. It had been you and bagsy at first, it was just the two of you in the end too. You’d been so angry when you’d first arrived to the institute, but then you met Bagsy. She was older and more experienced, she showed you the ropes, how it worked there. She kept you out of trouble and taught you how to smile again. The two of you had even made friends, been relatively popular among the other students. You’d certainly had more than your fair share of misadventures together. God, when had it all gone wrong?

 

You breathe in.

 

You consider your options.

 

You release your breath.

 

“Okay. Just not when I’m at work, Muffet’ll have my head if I try and leave early.”

 

“That I will deary~”

 

How long had Muffet been standing behind you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll be seeing a bit more of Bagsy in the next few chapters, hope you don't mind. Ah, the pain of a writer, knowing every detail of the characters lives and story and never really knowing how much of that comes across to the reader. if any of this M.Net stuff doesn't make sense feel free to ask about it I'll try and be helpful. 
> 
> Also Wisp is a dorky fanboy pass it on.
> 
> Skelenotes:  
> First day on the job  
> I’m on time nbd  
> Muffet doesn’t want to eat me all is good  
> Talks with Bagsy and Dorkface  
> Gosh darn it Muffet


	22. Talks and texts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My wifi's been a bit erratic recently so updates are now based around a complex system of 'how quickly can i post a chapter and is it fast enough to beat the inevitable dropout of signal'

“You don’t even know you’re doing it do you?” Wisps words cut straight through whatever it was You’d been thinking about. It can’t have been anything too interesting or important since you’d forgotten it in an instant, more of a mental mist to fill the silence with. Your shift had finished ten minutes ago and he’d surprised you with his presence as you as were leaving.

“Doing what?” 

“Smiling! You’ve been doing it the whole time I’ve been here. Bagsy said you did but I thought she was just messing around again.” 

Truthfully you knew full well what he was talking about, Sans had been quick to point it out after just a few days of knowing you, the hypocrite. Then again, he was a skeleton, not like he had much choice but to smile. Even Mettaton had mentioned your facial habits this very morning over breakfast. It was just something you did, hiding behind your smile. You never really payed it much mind, after all, you were known as Smiler for a reason. You couldn’t remember being called anything else but Smiler (and a few choice insults) until after you met the monsters. Hell, at this point you couldn’t even remember your birth name it’d been so long.

“It’s actually quite amazing, in a way.” He continues talking when you don’t give an immediate response “How you can do that. Not that the rest of the stuff you can do isn’t amazing. A necromancer, or something like it at least I don’t know the proper name for what you do, or even what you do really. Did you know that there’s never been another witch documented that you’re your abilities? And here you are, working in a bakery. I think I’ve seen something like it on TV actually. Something about daisies…? That guy was a pie maker though, do you make pies?” You shake your head. You really had missed out on a lot of pop culture. Good job you had people who reminded you of that fact every few hours. 

“If it’s any help I don’t know the proper name for what I do either.”

You’re starting to wonder if this guy plans on walking you the whole way back to Mettatons house. As noble a cause as it is, you’re fairly certain it’s something you could do on your own since if anyone around here really wanted to try something then having another person present probably wouldn’t put them off. Or maybe he just wants to find out where you live, during your talk at lunch he’d revealed that he and Bagsy now ran the network/M.Net so it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. You imagined he was the type to want to keep tabs on everything and everyone. You couldn’t imagine how he put up with Bagsy if that was true, she’d never exactly been thorough. Maybe they balanced each other out. Either way, you didn’t really want him to follow you the whole way so you kept quiet, only speaking when he asked you a question, hoping he’d get the hint and leave. Damn this guy could talk.

“So. I feel it’s only fair to tell you what I can do given the circumstances, since there’s no doubt that we’ll be working together from now on. I’m a pyromancer and I can divine minds as long as I maintain eye contact,” well that explains why he was staring at you across the table earlier “and I’m guessing you already know that Bagsy’s a herbologist. Between you and me, I don’t think that’s all she can do either, someone with such a strong connection to their magic only having one specialty? It’s practically unheard of. I don’t suppose you’ve ever heard her mention any other talents?” No, no you hadn’t.

“It’s not my place to go telling other peoples’ secrets.” You grit out from between clenched teeth. Something about this guy was really rubbing you the wrong way right now, though it was probably just because you were so tired from the day’s work and last night’s use of magic. Maybe it was the way he thought he was being subtle.

There’s a moment of silence before he carries on talking, his tone more thoughtful.

“You know, Bagsy’s been having a hard time of it. Don’t get me wrong, she’s good at what she does even if she doesn’t realise it, but she’s self-destructive. She doesn’t see herself in a good light, seems to think everything she does is some sort of a mistake.”

You stop walking for half a beat, suddenly a whole lot more interested in the conversation. Your mind plays over the image of silver scars reflected in the yellow light of a lamp. Had that really only been last night? Why you hadn’t put two and two together sooner you just didn’t know, you’d honestly forgotten that he scars even existed. But they did. They existed and they were on your friend. She’d been hurting and you hadn’t been there to help her. 

“When I first met her she was at her worst. She’d just graduated a few months before and she’d found out her parents were dead and younger sibling missing. She was living alone in this big house and was mixing with all the wrong crowds, getting in trouble with the wrong people. I’m glad I found her when I did.” You get the impression this is leading up to something. “She’s a lot better now but she still has off days. She got too out of it one night and told me about you, she didn’t mean to do it and she swore me to secrecy afterwards. Don’t be angry at Bagsy. I try and look out for her where I can, but it’s not always enough.” 

Oh right, he thought your earlier comment was aimed at Bagsy. Maybe it had been, you’d only even told her what you could do because you’d had to.

You’re crouched over an unmoving body, a rabbit, its rust coloured pelt stained red in patches. The body was misshapen and wrong. It had been one of her favourites, she’d be devastated to find it like this. It wasn’t its time to go, it’s small body crushed by some unknown weight. You wanted to help but you couldn’t, not without risking yourself. Was that selfish? There’s no one in sight but you never knew who might be watching you. You thought of her, your closest friend, and you didn’t want her to be sad. Not after losing Rat. You couldn’t help him either, it was already too late for that by the time you found out. Too late for him to come back. 

You looked around again, still no one. Why would anyone have been down here with the animals at this time of day? You weren’t even sure why you were here. You’d just had a feeling that this was where you should have been. With only a little more hesitation you gently scooped up the broken form in your arms. You don’t know who or what did this to it and you don’t want to find out. This sort of thing didn’t just happen by accident. A body doesn’t just crush itself. In truth, you didn’t want to know who did this because you didn’t know what you’d do to them. Better that no one else got hurt, there was enough hurt in this place already. 

Soft fur tickles against your bare arms as you tuck the rabbit close to your chest, ignoring the way the bones grated and scraped against each other. You lowered your face until your forehead rested on the rabbits’ back and you let yourself cross the veil. To any who might watch, you’d appear unnaturally still, any close enough would’ve felt the cold or seen the layer of frost settle on your frozen form. To you, you were kneeling in a void. Cold, empty and black. No, not empty. There’s a faint glowing presence nearby. A gentle pulsating light in amongst the darkness. You reached out to it, guided it gently towards you. You fixed it, holding together the broken pieces and waiting for the cracks to disappear. Patiently waited until it’s whole and strong again, ignoring the growing feeling of cold piercing you in both life and death. Something stirred in your living grip and you knew that your job was done. You crossed back into life and slowly stood up, shaking yourself free of the cold layer of ice. Someone familiar approached you, frightened and wary, voice small and disbelieving. Your heart seized in your chest, stopped beating for the shortest second. You shouldn’t have done this. You shouldn’t have been here. You should have ignored the feeling that you needed to be here and just gone to dinner with everyone else. Or nearly everyone else. Bagsy is standing off to your side, pain and betrayal written across her face.

“Smiler? What did you just do?” 

She’d found the rabbit before you.

The memory came to you unbidden, though of course you’d been forced to tell her after that, there was no denying it. She’d seen you. She hadn’t been angry like you’d expected her to be, only scared. She’d been scared for you actually. You almost smiled more at the memory of the way she’d fussed over you after that, keeping you close to her side wherever she went. Then you realised that Wisp had stopped talking and was just looking at you with an odd expression, like he knew what you were thinking. That brought you back to the present. 

Then he starts talking. Again.

“Did you hear what I said? You look after her okay? She’s already lost you once Smiler, don’t let it happen again. She might not hold it against you, but you could’ve found each other much sooner. You didn’t even try did you? She thought you were dead! I know you had your reasons but I mean it, look after Bagsy. Or else you’ll have more than just me to worry about.” Strange, Papyrus had said something similar earlier. You’d taken him seriously then and you’d take Wisp seriously now.

“Of course.”

“Oh, before I go, Bagsy put some of your friends numbers on that phone for you and I think there are some texts from others that she didn’t know so one of them must have given it out to the others.”

With that he turns and sweeps away, his cloak thing trailing behind him. You’re not sure who’d like it more, Papyrus or Alphys. Personally you think it looks weird and makes him look paler than he really is. Maybe that was part of the point. Either way, it’s the type of faux dramatic that you have to really concentrate not to laugh at even after such a serious confrontation interspersed with the odd threat.

The phone buzzed in your pocket and you pull it out, swiping to unlock it. Wow that was a lot of texts. Bagsy certainly had a way with names. Well, she had been the one to start calling you Smiler.

Pun lord: Hey kid, a pal said this was your number. Hope they’re not telling a fibula.

That… was probably Sans.

Cool Skeledude: SALUTATIONS FRIEND! IT IS GOOD TO FINALLY HAVE A WAY OF CONTACTING YOU FROM AFAR, AS EVEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE NOT YET MASTERED THE ART OF LONG DISTANCE TELEPATHY. 

You’d have to ask Papyrus if he’d mastered the art of short distance telepathy later. Instead, you opened the next message. This one was from an unknown number.

Unknown: Hey, Undyne gave me your number. You wanna come watch anime again some time? I can’t believe you’ve never watched mew mew kissy cutie it’s da BEST. ANIME. EVER!

There’s two more texts from the same number, though you’d already figured out who it was by the end of the first sentence.

Unknown: OMG I can’t believe I forgot to say it was me! You must think I’m such an idiot arghhh

Oh no I did I again I’m so sorry haha. 

You saved Alphys’ contact as ‘Dr Dino’. You didn’t quite have Bagsys’ naming talents but you were almost stupidly proud of that one.

Angry ‘Hella ripped’ Trout: Yo my nerd messed up, those other texts are from Alphys if you couldn’t tell.

You realise that you’re standing in the middle of the pavement staring at your phone so you start walking again, still checking your messages as you walked slowly on. You mentally debated renaming Undyne’s contact as ‘fsh’ after that old joke about the fish with no eye but thought that may be insensitive and that ‘Angry ‘Hella ripped’ Trout’ was good enough for now.

Unknown: Hello there kitten~ I’ve given blooky dearest your number. I’m sure you won’t mind in the slightest, will you now? x ~Mettaton

Vaguely threatening yet flamboyant, that sure was Mettaton alright.

Unknown: This is Napstablook… You can text or call me any time… Or not… I don’t really mind…

You text them back immediately, feeling bad for the spook. You also felt like the message was about to unsend itself and you didn’t want to lose their contact information before you could save it. You weren’t sure that messages could even do that but if there was a way, Napsta would probably do it out of sheer nervousness. They had some serious confidence issues going on and like hell you were going to make them any worse.

You: Hi Napsta. Don’t trust me with that much power I’ll never leave you alone now :P

You wish you could see their face when they read that. This wasn’t the first phone you’d ever had but it was certainly the first time you’d ever had so many contacts. You’d be damned if you weren’t going to use it to it’s fullest, even if you do feel like you probably text like a twelve-year-old. 

Your phone buzzed with yet another new message.

GlamBot: Ohohoho~ I do hope you didn’t say anything too inappropriate to Blooky now kitten, they’re all flustered~

Something about the tone of the text makes you smile even wider, picking up your pace to get home sooner. If someone had been watching you walk they’d probably be wondering why you kept stopping and starting like you were.

MK: Yo Boss! You have a phone now? That’s so cool!

You wonder how Bagsy knew MK. Maybe you’d ask her later, hopefully they met under better circumstances than you. There are only three more unread messages left.

Unknown: Hello my child, Frisk says hello and that they hope to see you soon. I was wondering if perhaps you would like to join us for Christmas? I have already gotten in contact with Mettaton and Napstablook and they said it’s fine and that they would join us too. Take care of yourself. With love, Toriel ]:) 

You save her contact as ‘GoatMom’ and move on to the next text, deciding to save replying until you get back and can give it your full attention.

Unknown: Theres somthing wrong with my phone, it doesn’t have ur number in it  
Oh wait, yes it does  
Are you wearing space pants?   
Because ur butt is outta this world  
If u were a booger I’d pick u first

The rest of the message is filled with pick-up lines of a similar calibre. Some of them would even make a pebble blush. You identify the culprit as Frisk and idly wonder whether they actually know what they’re saying. You’re not sure but knowing them they probably do. The message also, maybe rather oddly, reminds you of what you’d promised Frisk about their friend back in the underground. The one who was somehow alive but soulless. A part of you still doesn’t think it possible, You’d have to ask them about it the next time you see them. Which was looking like it was going to be at Christmas. 

There’s one last message. It’s from Bagsy.

Bagsy: Hey I’m taking u Crimbo shopping ‘morrow I’ll meet u at the mall at 11  
P.s. don’t even try and say ur working I asked Muffet

You’re back at the house now, you unlock the door and step through, wiping your feet and taking your shoes off for good measure. Mettaton gave you a cursory glance as you headed straight up the stairs to get changed and promptly went back to whatever he was doing. Papyrus had already left a while ago by the looks of things. There’s music coming from Napstas’ room but you decided to leave them in peace for now. You’d see them at dinner anyway.   
As usual Mettaton waxed lyrical about your culinary creations, today it was a stir fry with some leftovers from the bakery Muffet had pressed into your hands as you were leaving, while Napstablook ate their ghost food. It may have just been your imagination but you could have sworn that you saw them looking at your very corporeal meals with a hint of… longing? Excitement? 

You’re just winding down after dinner when you get yet another text from a saved contact. Weren’t you popular all of a sudden.

Wisp: We need you now, attack on ___ Road. 3 dead. Hurry.

You made your excuses to the two surprised monsters and headed out into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this chapter with and without the text section but i eventually decided to keep it. Now i should probably go make a note of all the contact names
> 
> Skelenotes:  
> More Bagsy goodness  
> Narrated by reader and Wisp  
> I didn’t even realise how similar this was to pushing daisies in some ways  
> I’ve never even watched that show  
> ‘lil bit at the end with texts from the squad because have some more happy  
> You’ll need it later ;)  
> Woop de doop we got srs bsnss


	23. A close call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the mess up yesterday! Thanks whoever it was who pointed it out to me (i forgot to note your username before i took the chapter down and i lost the comment, but thank you!)

It was cold out. It shouldn’t have been much of a surprise since it was the middle of Winter, yet there you were, surprised and cold. Maybe you should have stopped to pick up a coat on your way out, though the long sleeves of your shirt afforded at least a little protection. Next time you were called out like this you should be at least a little less hasty. At least the way was illuminated by streetlamps, there were a few areas nearby that didn’t even have that much. It made you feel at least a little safer, a small comfort. 

You thought while you walked, keeping up a brisk pace that was just short of a jog. You couldn’t help but wonder how often you’d be called out like this in the dead of night. There were only so many excuses you’d be able to make to your friends before they started to get suspicious, you’d have to think of something more permanent. Not to mention that too many nights like these might start to affect your days too, using your magic was exhausting and the lack of sleep probably wouldn’t help you much either.

When you arrived the perpetrators were still around, barely. Looks like it hadn’t been the short scuffle that you were used to, expecting even. There were three humanoid figures and two monsters in matching dark clothes. It was fair to assume that those were the ones from M.Net. 

You stayed back and watched as the five magical beings chased off some very angry, presumably non-magical humans. It was certainly a sight to see, one of the monsters was throwing some form of small, circular projectiles0 that it was conjuring. The human witches were a real mixed bag, one was sending long shadowy tendrils to whip around behind the retreating figures while another looked like they were causing small tremors, miniature earthquakes, in the ground below. It took you a moment to realise what the third Witch was doing, since to you they looked like they were standing motionless. It’d been a while since you’d last run into a terror witch, longer still since you’d seen this one in particular.

“Jazz?” You ask once the bigots are safely out of the way. You must have startled them, for a brief moment after you call out you felt nothing but abject horror. The person in front of you was transforming into something grotesque, demonic. The flesh started dripping from their face as if it was melting, black ink pooling around their eyes and mouth. Then, as fast as it had come on it passed and there was an average, somewhat familiar looking human standing in front of you, not a demonic entity. 

You let out the breath you hadn’t known you were holding and relaxed a little more. At least you’d avoided any cowering or screaming this time, that would be embarrassing.

“I am so sorry I thought… Holy shit. Smiler, is that you?”

“Yeah, it’s me. What am I supposed to be doing?” You know what you’re meant to be doing, you’d been doing it for years already, but you can’t see any bodies, or dust. You can’t bring back what isn’t dead and you’d been told that there were three dead.

“Oh right, just through that alley.”

That dark, foreboding alley right there. Good thing you were used to scary alley places, you’d been living in them until recently. The only real question was why the city had so many alleys to begin with. You weren’t even going alone, Jazz had settled a hand on the small of your back and was almost steering you towards the gaping maw, waving the others back with their free hand.

“So what actually happened here?” You can at least try and strike up conversation, since Jazz is intent on giving you an escort.

“You weren’t told?” You pull out your phone and show Jazz the message from Wisp, they look remarkably unimpressed “Ugh, he should know better than to send someone in blind, it got pretty nasty back there, you could have been caught in the crossfire. Well,” They gesture at the three neat piles of dust in front of you “what we’ve got here is the remnants of an organised attack, those assholes herded three monsters back here then killed ‘em. Poor bastards. As for what you’re supposed to do I have no idea, we’ve already cleared up all we can, we’ll have to write a report of what happened. Woah! No, don’t touch the dust we have to leave it. Boss’ orders.” 

Too late, you were already crouched down by the largest mound. What you didn’t expect was for Jazz to grab you and try and pull you away, but instinct took over and you pushed yourself out of their grip. 

Then you found yourself lying face first in the dusty remains. 

Gross.

“Shit!” you backpedalled away as fast as you could, the fine powder was all over your clothes. You didn’t even have to look to see that Jazz looked horrified. So much for boss’ orders.

“Well… Uh… here, take my coat and cover up.” They handed you their coat but you didn’t put it on yet, therw was no point covering that in dust too. You swallowed round the lump in your throat, maybe if you pretended it’s flour you’d feel less sick…

“Thanks… ugh. Do me a favour and make sure no one disturbs me.” You hadn’t even looked and you already knew that this’d be a pain in the ass to pull off. Sure, bringing one monster back probably wouldn’t be much of a problem, two might be a stretch, but three? Three’s pushing it.

Thankfully Jazz did as you ask without question. They probably still remembered you from the institute, you may not have been close but they’d been one of Bagsy’s friends even before you came along, so you knew them by extension. They knew you well enough to know when you were serious. 

You swallowed again and worked on blocking out the world around you. Pretending you didn’t hear Jazz talking with one of the monsters, pretending you couldn’t feel the dust caked on your skin. Instead, you focused on the cold chill of death, crossing the veil and taking stock of the situation.

There were three monster souls gently pulsing around you, shattered but close. Odd. Normally when something dies, especially a monster, the fragments of the soul scatter. Yet here were three souls sorted into neat piles in front of you. How had this…?

Something almost warm brushed against you and you spun round to face it. It’s the creature from before, the one who’d helped you find Papyrus. This time you could see it a little more clearly, though it still appeared to be mostly formless, a shifting mass of black shades, it appeared to be gesturing between you and the souls. It… no, he, looked on expectantly as you reached out towards the first soul. You could already feel the cold chill of death seeping its’ way through your living spirit. 

You gathered it together in your hands, happily noting that all the pieces were there. It took a lot less energy than you expected to fix it back together and send it back to life, not that it won’t still be a push to fix all three. It certainly seemed more doable now.

No sooner had the first soul been sent back through to life than you heard a delighted cooing. The figure had settled down off to your right. Its’ voice, if you could call it a voice, was still pervaded by the same static as before, but this time you could make out some of the sounds he was making. Who knew that your work made such good entertainment?

The second soul was trickier, fragments kept slipping loose and trying to break away from the whole. At one point you’d had to stop and let the pieces’ drift away from each other so you could start again. That drew a worried gasp from your audience, which was followed by a relieved huff when you dis finally get the soul back together. 

Oh, how you wish you could stop and rest for a while before you start on the third and final soul, but you have neither the time or the energy. Death was taking a lot out of you today. As it was, the spirit beside you was poking at you to carry on, perhaps he could sense your sluggishness. 

If you’d thought that the second soul was being difficult, the third was a nightmare. Three times you’d had to step back and start over. You were actually having to wrestle it to keep it in place, it was nothing if not infuriating. It was always annoying when souls tried to fight against you, you were trying to help them. This one was taking the cake though. It was almost like it was being stubborn on purpose with the way it was writhing around. As it was it felt odd, disjointed, like you were cramming pieces of different puzzles together into one. 

The cold chill of death was starting to make you feel numb, you didn’t have long before you’d be forced to turn back. The figure was chittering nervously, obviously distressed. You weren’t doing much better. You felt nervous enough yourself, this was bad.

You’d managed to get the soul together for the fourth time and you were really hoping that you could keep it together for long enough for it to work, not that it was helping you out much with the way that it was resisting. You kept it in check just long enough for you to fix the cracks. Even if you let go it would stay together at least… all that was left was just to give it the push back to its’ body back in life. 

Oh no.

You couldn’t do it.

You’d focused so much energy on getting the damn thing back in one piece that you hadn’t been keeping track. At this point you had a choice, you could leave the soul behind and recharge, risking having it fracture or drift too far for you to bring it back, or you could push yourself. But… the last time you’d done that hadn’t ended well. If you tried to force it, you could die. You could be trapped in death while your body was slowly drained of life and energy. Death was a void, it would take everything you had and still hunger for more. Was one stubborn soul worth that risk?

Of course it was.

The figure was darting around in front of you, even more concerned than before. You hadn’t been paying attention, too wrapped up in your own mind to notice it’s frantic attempts at getting your attention. You threw him an apologetic smile and get back to work. 

Apparently that was the wrong thing to do. Your spirit friend squawked and a sharp blast of static hit you. That was followed by an odd twitching as he reached out to grab at you but stopped himself halfway. He only hesitated a moment longer before he grabbed your right forearm. A jolt of pure energy shot through you and it burned. It hurt like hell, but it was a welcome warmth. Death was so cold and this spirit was so warm. And now you were too. It gave you the boost you needed to finish the task at hand. Before you knew it the stubborn soul was back in life, body and all. You stood to face the spirit and do the only thing you can think to do before leaving. You smile at him. 

You jerked to life with a sharp crack and a lurching sensation. There’s a moment of panic as you sucked in a sharp breath, your entire body felt heavy like you’re made of lead not flesh and blood. You’d tried to rise into a standing position but a thick layer of ice impeded your movement. The ice must’ve been at least half an inch thick. That really had been too much of a close call for your liking, you really could have died. You rarely liked to stick around for long enough for even a thin frost to form over you these days. If not for the spirits intervention, you may well have died.

Then, you spotted the red burn on your arm where the spirit had grabbed you, a raw patch of blistered skin, there was no ice around the mark. In fact, it had burned straight through the material of your shirt. The ice had been melted right off. That just made you all the more curious about your newfound spirit friend. Were there others like it? What had it done to your arm and had it hurt it as much as it had hurt you? Why was it still so warm in a place like death?

A warm presence appeared at your side. An odd looking Pomeranian in armour was rubbing itself against you, knocking off or melting the ice that still clung to you. It let out a quiet 'whuff' as it settled itself at your side. A vulkin monster sat not far off, with another monster that looked like someone had melted a whole bunch of different monsters together. You guessed that that had been the more difficult one. So many monsters sharing a body and a soul… Well, it seemed happy enough.

You’re shivering violently now, the dog only pressed closer and whined gently. Letting yourself get engulfed in the soft white fur wasn’t exactly a chore when you’re so cold. 

“Hey, everything okay back there?” Jazz poked their head into the alley before rattling of a long chain of swears that would make a Glaswegian sailor blush when they catch sight of the monsters. “They were dead. How the holy flipping fuck did you manage that?”

“Magic.” You croaked. Ow, your throat hurt. Almost all of you was either hurting or numb, no surprise that your throat was in on it too. 

“Oh… well oh dear. You look exhausted, get yourself home and get some rest, we’ll handle it from here.” 

Losing the warmth of the armoured dog monster wasn’t fun, though neither was the prospect of walking the whole way back on your own in the dark while covered in monster dust. Luckily for you one of the human witches, the one who’d been causing small ground tremors earlier, took you by the arm and let you lead them off in the right direction. That was a comfort at least.

It shows how chilled you were that the Winter night air didn’t even feel that cold. You just felt drained, disconnected from reality. You’re working on autopilot. At some point you’d donned the coat, it was warm, much warmer than what you’d been wearing before. A few times you’d stumbled, tripping over a stone or even your own feet, but eventually you found yourself home. The witch hadn’t said a single word to you, even when they left all they did was step back from you and bow before walking quickly away. You didn’t question it. Witches were an odd bunch at the best of times. 

You didn’t even make it as far as the front door before the it swung open. It’s not until Mettatons eyes rake over you, taking you in and widening in surprise that you realise your mistake. 

Oh no. Nononono. You’d forgotten to do up the coat that Jazz had lent you. You were still covered in dust. You were standing covered in dust in front of a monster, a friend. No way to get out of this one, the look on Mettatons face said it all, he knew what it was from this far away. Had you been seen by anyone else? Did that even matter anymore? Everything was wrong already, it was too late. You should have just told them everything to begin with. Why hadn’t you? 

There was no going back now. You’d ruined everything with one careless mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writers block can go die in the fiery pits of hell for realsies. I ended up splitting what was a much longer chapter (over 4k words) in half so that means i have the next three chapters done! Feel free to come kick me if i leave it too long before posting again!
> 
> Skelenotes:  
> V cold  
> There’s a lot of cold in this story  
> When will the warmth return from the war  
> Jazz is nice to you  
> Hello spirit man I like u  
> Ur adorable  
> But I messed up  
> Thanks for the help pal  
> Oh wow there’s an amalgamate  
> Pupper  
> O no


	24. What happens after

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really should have split this chapter in two. Hot damn it's long. Well, i tried.

 

Really, what was the kitten thinking, bolting from the house so late in the evening? His poor cousin was worried sick and even Mettaton had to admit that he was worried for their safety. After all, as much as he hated to admit it, the world above was full of bad people. It would be all too easy for a human like the kitten to get hurt. They’d been gone for hours now. Then again, so much about them was still a mystery, maybe he shouldn’t get so wound up. Still, that wouldn’t be enough to calm Blooky down. He had to distract them somehow. He needed the distraction almost as much as his cousin did.

 

“What did Alphys say about your design?”

 

“Oh… uh…. Ummm… it was good.”

 

“Oh? Does that mean she’ll start work on it soon?”

 

“… She said it should be ready by Christmas, New years at latest.” Hmm. Well, he was already well aware that Alphys had taken certain liberties when building his own body, which he’d eventually come to learn was his own fault. She’d been worried that he’d abandon her the second that it was finished. He wished that her fears had been unfounded, but still…

 

“That’s fast isn’t it? My body took her _ages_.” He spotted Blookys crestfallen expression and hastily tried to change his tune. “Still, it’s probably just because she can use mine as a template of sorts and she has access to so many more materials now. Yes, of course, that must be why.” He forced a chuckle, knowing that his cousin wouldn’t be convinced but also wouldn’t say anything out of politeness. He wouldn’t say he was jealous, not quite. Besides, those were both perfectly valid reasons to speed up the process really rather considerably. He was happy for his cousin, getting a corporeal form of their own was no small thing after all.

 

A noise from outside caught his attention, a quick glance out the window told him that their little stray had returned. Finally, they’d been gone what felt like forever. Pushing down a puff of frustration he rose from his seat with Napstablook trailing a small way behind him.

 

He knew something was wrong the moment he opened the door. The human was covered in dust.

 

There was no mistaking it, they were sodden, soaked through, the dust was congealed and caked on their shirt and trousers. Why on earth would they…? His mind spun with all possibilities, none of them good. Maybe they’d gotten in an accident, or maybe they’d tried to stop an attack and something had gone wrong. He hated himself for even thinking it, but maybe they’d been the one doing the attacking. 

 

The way they reacted when they saw him did nothing to put his worries to rest either. They just stood there, frozen. And were they… smiling? It looked all wrong on their face, twisted and tight. He’d noticed it before, the way that they were always smiling, even joked about it sometimes, but this was different. It felt unnatural. They both stood like that for a full minute, neither of them moving so much as an inch. Something felt wrong, dangerous. Instinct took over, something primal, telling him to protect his family. No not only instinct. The moment he’d thought that they were a threat his internal workings had been on high alert, remnants of the coding that Alphys had built into him back underground. Mettaton made as if to move back indoors, shut the door and lock it, but his cousin was already out the door.

 

“Metta, what’s…?”

 

“Get back indoors, now. I have to call Undyne and-“

 

“What about them?”

 

“Oh come on Blooky, _move._ Get inside and let me handle this.” He didn’t mean to be so short with them but he was running out of patience. Something was wrong here, he just knew it. He was hyper aware of everything, his magic was struggling for release.

 

“Only if you bring them in too.” Of all the- “They could be hurt Metta…” They were right. What if he was wrong and this really wasn’t what it looked like? He’d never forgive himself if he let his friend suffer over a misunderstanding, besides, he knew them well enough to say that they weren’t a murderer. He should have known better than that, he could at least give them a chance to explain. He knew that. _He knew that._ But his programming didn’t. He was torn, code conflicting with knowledge.

 

“Of course Blooky, you’re right.” He was already walking toward the immobile figure. They didn’t move when he approached, or when he tried to get them to answer. Shock, probably. But something was wrong. He couldn’t deactivate his weapons. He was fighting a losing battle.

 

“Blooky. I want to, I really do but…” He couldn’t stop himself. A whirring, not from his fans this time. Metal and magic working in tandem to eliminate the threat. The threat that wasn’t a threat. The threat that he called a friend. Why hadn’t Alphys thought to install a manual override feature? If he got much closer he might even end up hurting the poor kitten.

 

Then his cousin materialised between them.

 

Right as he initiated a battle.

 

The world faded into black and white, everything except his cousin fading into the background. They looked nervous but resolute. They were trying to stop him before he did something terrible, something everyone would regret. It was their turn to act first.

 

“Metta. Stop.”

 

He whimpered, suddenly terrified he might hurt Napstablook. He didn’t want this, the total loss of control was horrifying. This hadn’t happened when he’d fought Frisk, why was it happening now? At least Napstablook stood a chance against him, his cousin wasn’t a pushover and they both knew it. That was probably why they’d intercepted the battle. He wouldn’t ever attack blooky, not if he could help it. Nonono, he couldn’t.

 

No really, he couldn’t. He was stuck, he couldn’t attack, couldn’t flee. They stood like that for a while Mettaton collected himself again. With the kitten out of sight he couldn’t sense them as a threat, his weapons finally, finally, powered down. The fear that had wound up tight inside him released and he felt himself relax.

 

Blooky spared him as soon as they saw that he wasn’t about to attack. Whatever that had been, it’d worked. He couldn’t even find it in himself to be mad at the reckless move, he’d have done the same if the roles were reversed.

 

He swept his cousin up in a crushing embrace, muttering apologies and thankyou’s until he remembered that the kitten was still there, still motionless. It was like they hadn’t even noticed what he’d nearly done. Just what had happened to them? He cautiously waved a hand in front of their face. When it became clear that they weren’t going to respond, yet alone walk, he scooped them up and carried them indoors. He talked to them as he went, knowing it was a wasted effort but doing it anyway. He felt awful. Napstablook shut the door behind them, never taking their eyes off of him and the human for more than a second.

 

“Blooky, I don’t know about you but I think there’s something strange going on here.”

 

 

* * *

 

You felt like you were floating, drained, empty. Maybe your stupid mind had finally snapped and you’d passed out. Wait, no. You were being carried. Why were you being carried? Oh, Mettaton was carrying you. How could he even bear to touch you? You knew how this looked, you’d just run off in the middle of the night without warning and come back covered in dust. Maybe he was going to keep you locked up until he knew what to do with you. It’s what you would do if you were in his position. You were shaking again, but not from the cold this time. A significant part of you wanted to cry, to scream and cling to him like a child being scolded by a parent, but you didn’t. Instead, you lay stiff and motionless while you were carried indoors. You may as well have been unconscious. 

 

Physically, you’d completely and totally shut down. You couldn’t even feel the hard press of Mettatons metallic body against your soft flesh. As it was, you only vaguely registered the sounds of arguing, you could guess what it was about.

 

Mettaton was saying something but you couldn’t tell who or what he was talking to. You thought he might have been talking to you but you weren’t sure. You felt numb and cold and warm all at once. Idiot! You were such an idiot! You should have called Bagsy, stayed with her for the night, or at least long enough to clean yourself up and avoid this whole mess. What were you thinking?

 

A sharp pain blossomed quickly across your jaw. Someone had slapped you. That brought you back to reality, like nothing else had so far.

 

Unfortunately, you weren’t out of the woods yet.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“They’re cold and wet. Frisk said humans can get ill from that.” Blooky was scolding him. Well, he did deserve it. Mettaton had made enough mistakes in his life to realise that he’d very nearly made another one. At least this time he’d had his cousin by his side to stop him in time. They were right, the kitten was wet through and freezing, barely warmer than the cold night air outside. Still, looking down at them as he lay them out across the sofa, it was difficult to unravel the tight knot of worry from his mind. He ignored it as best he could. He had to hear what they had to say first.

 

Ten minutes later, despite his constant coaxing, they were still unresponsive. Napstablook had tried to convince him to let them warm up first but, maybe selfishly, Mettaton had insisted that they make them speak. His incorporeal cousin had disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a sweet smelling mug of hot chocolate. He didn’t bother scolding them for using it without permission, they could hardly give the human ghost food could they?

 

He wasn’t famed for his patience at the best of times, he was well and truly at the end of his tether. After earlier he felt like a live wire, his battery was almost drained and the battle had taken a lot out of him. It was a moment of madness when he’d eventually caved in and slapped them, true it wasn’t too hard and was padded by his glove, but violence was violence. To his surprise, it had worked. Maybe he’d put more effort into learning about how humans functioned from now on, all his knowledge came from television and films, surely there must have been a better way than what he’d just tried. Still, with a little more coaxing they managed to get them conscious at least.

 

 

* * *

 

You were sat on the sofa, Napstablook sitting beside you holding a steaming mug of something. Mettaton was crouched down in front of you, his face a blank mask. You assumed that it was him who’d slapped you, if Napstablook had done it then you’d have been buried under a mountain of apologies already. Probably.

 

You tried to focus on your surroundings. You tried to focus on the brightness of the room around you, the softness of the sofa, but you couldn’t. You could only see the disappointment on their faces. Whether you imagined it or not, it hurt you to see it there. Even though you knew that you’d done nothing wrong you still felt a weight of guilt pushing down on you, a guilt that could easily be misread given your current predicament. If only it was as easy as just telling them the truth. Like they’d even believe it.

 

“Blooky darling, look after them for a moment. I need to clear my head.” If you’d been more with it you might have heard the tremor in his voice, but as it was you could only feel his absence when he stood up and left the room. You were left alone with Napstablook.

 

“Are you okay…?”

 

“No. I- I’m sorry.”

 

They smiled. They actually smiled at you. It was just the barest hint of a smile, unsure and wavering, but still a smile. The act alone was enough to put you more at ease than before. Something about the little spook was soothing enough to calm you.

 

“Metta always tells me not to apologise for everything, maybe you should try it too… Or not…”

 

“Thank you.” And you meant it. You really did.

 

Mettaton came back in a few short minutes later, though something had changed in his demeanour. He seemed more tense as he resumed his position on the floor in front of you.

 

“Kitten… I’m sorry I hit you earlier. You just weren’t answering and I thought- no. Never mind, it was stupid. I should never have done that.”

 

“It’s fine. It helped.” He tutted and shook his head, sending his hair flying in all directions.

 

“No it wasn’t. I doubted you. I saw the dust and thought the worst. Blooky knocked some sense into me at least, but darling, please, tell us what’s going on?” You pretended that his words didn’t sting. For a moment after he spoke you fell back into that dark place from before. Mettaton was talking softly, but sternly, telling you that it was okay, that they just wanted to help. He was all but begging you to tell them what happened. He sounded like he was talking to a spooked animal. It was a fair comparison, you felt like you were about to bolt any second.

_He’s lying he’ll hurt you when he finds out. He’ll chase you out and leave you for dead. It’s happened before and it’s happening now. If you told them you’d lose everything you have. You couldn’t let that happen again. Never again. What would Frisk do when you’re gone? How would you keep your promise? Would it even matter? Would they even care? Does anyone care? Why would they ever care about someone like you? You didn’t deserve them, it would be better if you let them hate you, wouldn’t it?_

No.

 

Stay calm. He’s not angry. Listen.

 

* * *

 

 

 

Mettaton found himself getting more and more frustrated with the human, while his cousin seemed more and more distressed. He’d remembered something, it’d been nagging at the back of mind for a while now. It’d only been mentioned in passing and he hadn’t really been paying any attention at the time but still, it was a possibility. He had to call Undyne.

 

“Blooky darling, look after them for a moment. I need to clear my head.”

 

As soon as he was safely out of earshot he dialled the Guard Captain. Just to be sure, if he couldn’t get the kitten to talk on their own, he just had to put his mind at ease.

 

“Finally! Undyne dear, please don’t keep me waiting so long next time!”

 

“Mettaton? Dude, do you even know what time it is?” She sounded irritated, but not like she’d just been woken up.

 

“Yes well, there’s a situation here.” So he quickly rattled off what had happened, to his surprise Undyne didn’t interrupt him. He chose to leave out the part where he’d nearly attacked them. He’d take that one up with Alphys.

 

“Wait so that’s the punk? Woah, small world huh?” She guffawed down the phone and he was left to remember all the times Alphys had waxed poetic about that particular sound, personally he found it less endearing and more irritating. Especially now when he had no idea what she found so funny.

 

“Would you care to explain? I’m afraid I’m not yet a psychic, though if I was I still doubt I’d have any idea what’s going through that head of yours.” He sniped, irritated. She just snorted.

 

“You don’t have to worry, the boss was just doing a job for the witches. Probably best if you let them tell you when they’ve calmed down.”

 

“We’ve been trying to calm them down, that’s why I called!”

 

“Yeah well, not my story to tell. Still, didn’t know the boss had it in them! Oh yeah, this means that of you hurt them, it won’t just be me you have to worry about, got it?”

 

“How comforting. Goodbye Undyne.” He hung up without waiting for an answer. That last comment struck a little too close to home for his liking. At least if Undyne knew about whatever it was that had happened then the kitten hadn’t been gallivanting around murdering people by moonlight.

 

Apparently his cousin could work miracles in his absence. When he’d re-entered the living room he’d found the two talking together. Eventually managed to get them talking. He was surprised at what they’d had to say but in a twisted sort of way it had made perfect sense. Not that that made it any more believable. He listened to what they had to say in a state of suspended disbelief. Then the mood had changed and he steered the conversation away before they could wallow. They hadn’t even realised he’d done it. Still, that didn’t mean he liked what he was hearing. Death magic? Institutes? Oh, he could write a play from what the poor kitten was saying and still wouldn’t be able to capture the mood even with all his skill. Though maybe if he asked them nicely another time they’d be willing to let him try…

 

It was Blooky who noticed them shivering first. It hadn’t even occurred to him that they were still cold and sitting in damp, ruined clothes, the fool he was. Humans were such fragile creatures, he should have listened to his cousin and had them warmed up straight away, they’d be lucky if they didn’t become ill from this. He saw to it that they were warmed up thoroughly before they were sent to bed. The poor dear was exhausted.

 

He waited until they were asleep to start planning. As a friend, Mettaton knew he should have put more trust in them. He had to make it up to them. In a spectacular fashion.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Kitten please, talk to us.” Low, comforting. He was trying to keep you calm but he was panicking too.

 

“I…” You stop. Your mind was screaming, every instinct telling you to leave and never come back, save yourself the pain of rejection.

 

“Go on, I’m listening. Just talk to me, please.” He wiped a gloved hand delicately across your face, wiping something damp away. How long had you been crying for? “You’re soaked through and positively freezing. Blooky, fetch a blanket.”

 

A mug appeared in your hands, a welcome warmth. You managed to choke out a sob, nearly spilling the contents of the mug, but not quite. Something soft draped around you, it was warm. The blanket. You were starting to come back to yourself more and more as you felt your body heat up. You were still confused. Shouldn’t they be angrier at you? Why weren’t they?

 

“I… don’t know where to start. You’re not mad?” You sounded pathetic even to your own ears.

 

“Of course not darling, whatever it is that happened we’re here for you. Just tell us, please.”

 

You were floored. Why? He even didn’t know what you’d done, for all he knew you might’ve been a murderer! Why would they trust you so much, they didn’t even know you, not really. Not like Frisk or Bagsy did. But here they were, giving you the chance you didn’t think you deserved. Something inside fell into place and suddenly the words were pouring out of you. A wall of carefully guarded emotions tumbling down and straight out of your mouth. You don’t know if you were making any sense but they let you talk anyway, not interrupting other than with the occasional question. You told them about what you do with your magic, what you’d been doing that very night. They didn’t believe you at first, as good a job as they did at hiding it, you didn’t blame them. You wouldn’t believe you either.

 

“And you thought we’d throw you away? For that? Darling, how could you think that!”

 

That prompted you on to talk, mumble and stutter your way through your life story. Your time at the institute, what happened after, you even briefly mentioned a little about your life before. Napstablooks reactions were less dramatic that Mettatons, but no less distressed. The more you talked the lighter you felt. You told them things that you’d never told anyone, not even Bagsy. Then came the questions, gentle, probing but never pushing. They asked more about your abilities and human magic in general, about Frisk, about the time the two of you had spent together. By the time you finished you barely have any secrets left to tell. It became obvious that the little ambassador hadn’t told any of them about any of this either. You really were an idiot to keep this from them… But…

 

“Can you not tell the others?”

 

“Darling, why!? You do such wonderful things, if they knew then they could help and I’m sure they wouldn’t think any less of you. We certainly don’t.“

 

“I know it sounds stupid.” And you did, you really did. Coming clean to these two alone had made you feel so much better, you knew that being honest with all of your friends was the better option here, but you weren’t ready to let go of the past quite yet. People who you’d thought you could trust had hurt you before, you weren’t ready to see if it would happen again. You couldn’t lose what you had now.

 

“Hmmm, Kitten have you ever considered that-“

 

“Metta…” Napstablook cut in, stopping their robotic cousin mid-sentence. You’d curled around them like a cat somewhere during your talk, careful to keep the blanket between your ruined clothes and their body. Mettaton had shifted to sit beside you once you’d calmed down. Still, both of their presence at your side had kept you grounded even when you’d nearly drifted off again. “They need to warm up. They’re too cold still…”

 

“Okay, kitten, we won’t tell. We need to get you warm and dry, shower then bed for you I think! I’ll call Toriel to see if there’s anything else-” He was halfway out the room before you realised exactly what he was saying.

 

“No! Please don’t, uh, just google it maybe?” He eyed you curiously for a moment, pausing mid-stride. He sighs and nods to show he understood before retreating upstairs towards the bathroom. Good, you didn’t want to drag anyone else into this, especially not this late at night. It was well past midnight, you’d been talking for at least an hour and you had no idea how long you’d spent panicking before that. You were still slightly dazed at their reactions, though in hindsight you could see that the monsters had been nothing but accepting of everything you’d told them so far. It was a shame it took something as drastic as this, you nearly dying and turning up drenched from melted ice and coated in dust, for you to realise exactly how damn nice these people were. If you’d turned up in the middle of the night covered in blood and gore around a human then there was no doubt at all that you’d be in major trouble, not the unconditional love that monsters seemed to have for all things. Napstablook had even brought you hot chocolate and a blanket! They were also in the process of herding you up the stairs. You could at least walk on your own now, no need to be carried.

 

You were a little surprised when neither Mettaton or Napstablook left you alone when you entered the room, instead you were ushered under a cool stream of water, clothes and all. You winced, not expecting the water to be so cold.

 

“Sorry darling, we’ve got to get you warmed up slowly or it might make you ill.”

 

“Most people take their clothes of when they shower.” You muttered, and of course they both heard you. Napstablook just avoided your eyes while Mettaton was unconcerned.

 

“Oh? I had no idea. Really.” Wow, at least he couldn’t be too worried about you still if he was sassing you.

 

The water steadily rose in temperature and you shed your outer layers without any prompting, keeping your underwear on to protect your modesty. Napstablook carried off your discarded clothes for washing and came back with the fluffiest, pinkest towel you’d ever seen. You left the shower and dried yourself off. Napstablook politely informed you that they’d left some pyjamas on your bed and you were given with strict instructions to get to sleep quickly. There was even another steaming cup of hot chocolate sitting on your bedside table, complete with cream and marshmallows.

 

It left you feeling warm and content. You slipped off to sleep easily, but not before you remembered to set an alarm so you wake up the next morning. You and Bagsy had plans, after all. You had to pretend that everything was fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real quick 'cause my batteries dying. Damn over 5k hits? I love you guys. I swear there will be more plot happening and yeah. fun. Also that chapter i accidentally posted a while back? I changed it. a lot. hahaha. Fun.
> 
> skelenotes:  
> Metta no  
> METTA NO  
> NO  
> thenk u blook  
> ur just kinda out of it  
> Napsta's a cutie pie  
> Metta have u ever heard of a pal called hypothermia?  
> noo?


	25. A good day shopping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fairly long chapter that i edited the same three parts of a grand total of five times. really, I just couldn't decide what words to use.

The next morning you woke up with a murderous headache. You ached all over too, like you’d been hit by a truck three or four times. But you acted like everything was fine. A couple of painkillers later and you could almost believe it. You’d dealt with worse feelings than this, the last couple of Winters hadn’t exactly been warm and you’d spent weeks on end sleeping in cold conditions, at least now you had somewhere to call home. It was still quite a novelty for you to think like that. Home. A place where you belonged, people who wanted you around.

 

Facing Mettaton and Napstablook was a little awkward. You felt like you’d overshared, told them more than you needed too last night. You hadn’t been thinking straight, if you had then you’d have never talked half as much as you had. That didn’t mean that you weren’t happy that you did. They were worried for you, Mettaton had even made breakfast himself and made you sleep in. Neither of them had been too happy to find out your plans for the day but you refused to cancel no matter what they said. You knew that you probably should be spending the day in bed but you owed it to Bagsy to make up for lost time.

 

Maybe you would consider coming clean to the other monsters too, when the time was right, or if they ever asked. Hopefully it would be under better circumstances than with your two housemates. You’d have to carefully plan what you were going to say when the time came, starting now.

 

That’s how you spent your time before you had to leave, sitting on the sofa with a pen and paper writing notes. What was important and what wasn’t, anything you were willing to admit and anything you weren’t. You found yourself relaxing, half draping yourself over the cousins when they sate either side of you. Napstablook had made you yet more hot chocolate, much to Mettatons chagrin. They actually helped you with your notes, helping you to condense everything important onto one double sided sheet. You left it in the front pocket of your trusty backpack.

 

Eventually you had to leave or you’d be late for meeting Bagsy, saying goodbye to Napstablook and Mettaton was a surprisingly emotional affair on your part, you’d had to stop to hug them both, thanking them for their kindness. Napstablook had blushed and disappeared off, while Mettaton had brushed off your thanks, saying you had nothing to thank him for. You had to try not to grin when you saw him wipe his one visible eye when he thought you weren’t looking.

 

 

 

Several hours later, you and Bagsy found yourselves trying to find Christmas presents for your mutual friends. Really, it’s ridiculous just how many friends you share and had still somehow avoided hearing mention of each other by name or even been in the same place at the same time. In theory the shared knowledge should help you find the perfect gifts. In practice, not so much.

 

As far as actual shopping was concerned, neither of you were having any luck. Everything here seemed so… generic. Sure there was a comic store that had a decent anime and manga section that might have been good for Alphys and Undyne but neither of you knew what they already had or if they’d even like whatever you’d choose. You’d suggested getting some of the action figures they’d had there for Papyrus but Bagsy had pointed out that it was usually ‘Santa’ who got them for him and that could open a whole new kettle of fish. You’d even briefly thought of looking in one of the three music stores they had here for Napsta (something about that made Bagsy give you an odd look) but you’d been way out of your depth and had ended up walking out with your head hanging in shame. Bagsy at least found something _she_ wanted in there. Two fruitless hours later and both of you were staring to get irritable. You were beginning to feel a little fuzzy and still had the headache from hell pounding behind your eyes. The crowds this close to Christmas were more than just horrendous. There had been few times that one or both of you had been roughly pushed aside by other, more irritable shoppers. One lady had actually shoved her child’s pushchair straight into you and even had the nerve to glare at you as if it was your fault, at which Bagsy had reacted… badly. At least you’d both thought to cover your brands, you would both have been pushed around a lot more than you already had if either of you had them exposed.

 

“I swear, what do you even buy for these guys? Everything I can think of is way too obvious! We’d just end up getting them something they already have or that someone else had already got them.” You huff as you flop down on one of the uncomfortable metal chairs in the food court.

 

“I know, right? Everything we can get here just feels wrong. Kinda like it’s too impersonal, y’know?”

 

You nod, face buried in your sandwich. Not the best tasting thing in the world, but hey, it was cheap and you were poor. Bagsy just carried on talking instead of waiting for you to finish your mouthful, she’d given you an almost scandalised look when you’d picked up the cheapest thing there and had tried to insist that she pay, which you refused. Even then, she’d still managed to sneak in getting you a drink of your own under the pretence of getting you to take a couple of painkillers for your headache. It took the edge off of the pain at least.

 

“So I hear Wisp wasted no time in making use of you, how did last night go?”

 

You remembered to swallow before you sighed. No point in choking on your crummy sandwich.

 

“Could have been worse I guess, I got covered in dust and it was really gross. Now I’m exhausted but at least I got the job done.” There were now three very much alive monsters running round the city that should, by all rights be dead. You didn’t feel like mentioning that both Mettaton and Napstablook had stayed up to wait for you and that you’d had to tell them everything in a spectacular fashion. Hell knows how you’d even begin to explain that one to her.

 

“Nice job! I gotta ask though, you know how I like to stick my foot right in my mouth, how much do the monsters actually know?”

 

“They know I’m a witch, they never really asked what kind so I never told them. The two I live with know pretty much everything though, I kinda had to tell them.” She nodded at you and made a little humming sound. That reminded you of something from yesterday. After the events of last night, it had almost completely slipped your mind until just then. “Wisp mentioned something interesting though. He cornered me after I finished work.”

 

“Ugh! I told him not to bother you unless he had to. Go on then, what did he tell you that he couldn’t say in front of me?”

 

“He asked me to subtly ask you if you’re _just_ a herbologist.” You didn’t even feel bad. You’d only met the dude once, you trusted Bagsy more than you trusted Wisp, like hell you were going to play spy for him. “After he asked me if I knew first.”

 

“Why would he ask you that?” Her eyebrows were threatening to join her hairline, such was the incredulous expression on your friends’ face. “Also great job at being subtle there Smiler, real smooth.”

 

“Don’t ask me! He just said it was weird that you didn’t have a secondary magic or something.”

 

“Neither do you!” She sputters “You just pretended to be awful at everything so you didn’t have to out yourself and so ya could get out early!”

 

“Not my fault the systems broken.” You huff, you’d done a very good job of hiding your abilities for a good few years. Bad things tended to happen to those with the more ‘risky’ talents. Not all witches had a defined magical trait after all, though most at least had a primary. The more powerful the witch, the more likely it was they’d have a secondary or even a tertiary magic. Bagsy only had a primary, but it was strong enough that she should have had a secondary. At the institute you’d just locked yourself up tight and acted like it was a fluke that you’d even been sent there to begin with. Maybe not your most inspired plan but it had worked for you, right up until it hadn’t. “But he has a point, it’s odd. I won’t make you tell me if you don’t want to though, I’m not that much of a hypocrite.”

 

“Then why did ya ask?”

 

“I’m still curious.”

 

Bagsy did a good job of keeping her face totally neutral. She looked just like Frisk when she did that, it was almost creepy. Then she shifted a little and the blank mask fell away, she chuckled nervously and you gave her what you hoped was a sympathetic smile.

 

“Green.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You look green.”

 

“Rude.”

 

“No you ass, I was trying to be all mysterious.” She laughed properly. Mood successfully lightened. Good job you. “I mean that you have a green soul, you utter walnut.”

 

“Cool. I literally have no idea what that means. You could have told me anything. Maybe I actually have a rainbow soul with chocolate sprinkles and you’re just jealous.” Okay so maybe, just maybe you were teasing her. It was true that you have no idea what that means though, as long as it’s not rotten like the guy who’s knife you found yourself on the business end of oh so long ago then you really couldn’t care less what colour you are. It was interesting that Bagsy can see your soul though. There’s probably more to it than she’s letting on, there always is.

 

Bagsy just gives a non-committal hum from around the straw of her drink. A quick glance in her direction shows that she’d had her eyes trained on an inconspicuous looking store one floor down, barely even visible from where you were sitting. Squinting slightly, you could just about make out that it was a tourist information centre of some sort. Odd. It looked new, probably popping up not long after the monsters resurfaced. As much as it sometimes seemed not to be the case, not everyone was hostile towards the monsters and the town had become a tourist hotspot in the last few months. Something uncomfortable prickled across your back at the thought of people, no matter their intentions, treating your friends like tourist attractions.

 

Watching Bagsy, you could almost see the cogs turning in her head. That’s the face of a girl with an idea and the determination to see it through.

 

Sure enough not even five minutes later you found yourself standing beside Bagsy staring down at an overwhelming amount of leaflets, bagsy still with her drink in one hand. Your sandwich had long since been finished. You’d had no idea this area had so many _places_. There were at least fifty different leaflets advertising an array of attractions on the stand.

 

“Look at this one! It’s a petting zoo, Paps and the kids would love this!” Bagsy squealed, it was actually not a bad idea. Quite a few monsters had a fascination with animals, not that it wasn’t completely understandable when you considered that almost anything even resembling an animal in the underground was actually some kind of monster.

 

“How do you even know the kids?”

 

“Uh, I know Paps. Paps knows them. We all hang out sometimes. They’re cool.” Huh. There was probably more of a story there that she was willing to let on, you’d bully it out of here later if you got the chance. Hopefully it was more cheerful than how _you_ met the kids. Meanwhile, a flyer on the table next to you had caught your eye.

 

“Stargazing, Frisk told me about this one part of the underground with a bunch of shiny rocks that looked a bit like stars. The monsters used to go there to make wishes and stuff there.” They’d also told you about how most of those wishes had something to do with reaching the surface and seeing real stars. Obviously Mettaton wasn’t star enough for them. Okay that was mean, maybe never say that out loud ever.

 

“Oooo, Frisk? That’s the ambassador, right? They’re a sweet kid. And really Smiler, trust you to spot maybe the only free event in this whole town, there’s even free food.”

 

“Excuse you, it says bring your own food.”

 

“Have you _met_ the monsters? Free food, hope you like spaghetti.”

 

After a bit of good natured ribbing she picked up the flyer, holding several others in the other hand. She met your eyes with a look that said nothing if not trouble. You were left to wonder what sort of mischief Bagsy could possibly cause with nothing but a small collection of leaflets as you trailed a step behind her while she sauntered over to the counter. You pretended not to see the way her hips swung a little more than usual or the look she was giving the poor girl behind the desk.

 

“Can I help you?” The girl said with a pleasant smile, though her eyes darted between you and Bagsy nervously. She looked about Bagsys’ age, but with her large doe eyes and impressive makeup she could be older or even be as young as you.

 

“Yup!” Bagsy leant against the counter and smoothly laid out all the leaflets. There was one for the petting zoo, as well as well as the larger zoo in the next town over, the local science and history museum and the two closest theme parks. “You look like the kinda girl who can work some magic, what are the chances of renting any of these locations for private functions?”

 

Uh. What.

 

You couldn’t even begin to list the things that were wrong with that idea. Was she seriously going to try and do this? What was she going to do if it worked? Oh god the money. Even renting one venue was going to be expensive as all hell, and here she was trying to flirt and haggle her way to renting all of them? And she really was, she’d already dropped an almost alarming amount of petty compliments and even a few awful pick-up lines. The unfortunate girl behind the desk didn’t know what hit her.

 

Somewhere deep down, you think that you should be mad at Bagsy for not giving you some warning. Another part of you said to just shut up and enjoy the show.

 

You could only watch on in awe as Bagsys’ ridiculous plan worked. _Actually worked_. The girl rung up each of the venues, the larger zoo and the two theme parks could only provide VIP access at best, at which Bagsy made a face and passes on, while the petting zoo was more than happy to allow exclusive access for a day. The people at the museum spent a good few minutes laughing until they realised that yes, Bagsy was apparently being serious. You still weren’t quite convinced that this wasn’t an elaborate joke. You still couldn’t figure out if this is even the sort of thing that tourist information centre was meant to do. You’d thought that they usually just had maps and leaflets with a person at a desk for if you were really confused, not to act like a booking agency. Not that Bagsy would ever have let that stop her.

 

At the end of a few lengthy debates and no small amount of second hand embarrassment on your part Bagsy ended up booking out the petting zoo for an entire day sometime mid-April and had even booked a slot at the stargazing night you’d picked up the leaflet for.

 

Asking about why she wanted to rent out the places completely was a pointless question if her reaction to the theme parks offers were anything to go by, no point getting the monsters a present like this if some asshole human decided to ruin it for them. She’d clearly put a lot more thought into it than you gave her credit for at first.

 

To say she looked pleased with herself would be an understatement. It wasn’t until you were both well away from the information centre that Bagsy let out an unholy screech and all but leaped on you.

 

“I can’t believe that actually worked!” She was giddy with excitement, bouncing up and down on the spot like a child on a sugar high.

 

“Me neither. Uh, Bagsy? How can you afford all that?”

 

She leveled a look at you that suggested you’d just asked a very stupid question, before her eyes lit up again.

 

“You mean to tell me that I never told you my tragic backstory?” she said with a mock gasp, half bitter sarcasm and half genuine BagsyTM sarcasm, she continued, “You mean I never told you how I graduated the academy only to find that my considerably wealthy asshat parents had died and that my sole surviving relative had gone missing almost a year prior? Leaving me, poor little me, with untold riches and a mansion to call my home for all eternity?”

 

“A mansion?” you eyed her suspiciously. That sounded very fake. Really fake. Anime level fake. Clearly she was leading up to something here, who were you to deny a girl her fun?

 

“You doubt me, knave?”

 

“Yes. Absolutely yes.”

 

“Tell me peasant, doth thou hast a tragic backstory that rivals ones own?” Your face set itself somewhere firmly between a grimace and a grin at both how badly she’d butchered that sentence. She could give Mettaton a run for his money with all those dramatics. You’d have to consult a thesaurus later to find more ways to describe the pair than just ‘dramatic’. You were running out of adjectives.

 

“Well you know what? I think I’m in luck, I do! In fact, I lived in an alley for over three years after my daring escape! Imagine, a poor, innocent child such as myself toughing it out over long, harsh winters, toiling through troubles untold! I sold my magical services to young and old alike in exchange for favours. Then I get stabbed for the trouble and find myself living with a robotic celebrity and his adorable ghostly cousin.”

 

Bagsy did a double take at that. It wasn’t lost on you that she’d apparently had a lifestyle that was the complete opposite of your own, you’d even be tempted to find it funny if she wasn’t staring at you so intently, for a moment something like guilt flickered in her eyes. As fast as it came, it passed again. Instead, she was spinning you roughly around to face her with both hands clamped firmly on your shoulders. Damn, Bagsy was stronger than she looked.

 

“Then I think we might have a problem, Smiler.”

 

“We do…?”

 

She looked away as if to check for onlookers before she turned her full attention back to you. You felt a small prickle of fear crawling its way down your back, but quickly pushed it away again. This was just Bagsy messing around, joking about the serious stuff the same way she always used to. Though the look on her face…

 

“Tragic backstory, new friends, heart-warming reunion, we both got it all… so.”

 

“So…?”

 

“Which one of us is the protagonist here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bagsy wyd. Anyyywayy, more fluff! More happiness! Life is just full of flowers and soft animals, isn't it? Lets hope nothing goes wrong! There's just one more chapter after this until Christmas. Ah, yeah, how many chapters ago was it that i wanted to get the Christmas chapter up in time?
> 
> Skelenotes:  
> Bagsy has way too much energy  
> U’ll humour her  
> Why with all the leaflets Bagsy  
> U forgot u were poor  
> BAGSY NO  
> *another story screams from the distance ‘Bagsy yes’*  
> Calm before the strom yo  
> The chrtsmas storm


	26. Would you smooch a human?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Updates here will be slower while i get the other story on the same level as this one, hopefully won't be any waits as long as there have been already. I'm also thinking of going back and fixing my writing because wow my tenses tend to jump around a bit yikes

You'd messed up. This was a mistake of biblical proportions, a terrible, horrific mistake. The planets had aligned to bring a tide of misfortune upon you the likes of which were only witnessed once in a millennium. Human and monsterkind would forever hail this day as the day the world ended.

 

Bagsy and Mettaton were in the same room together and it was all your doing.

 

It had been getting late and you’d still been out with Bagsy, you’d been wondering around wherever the two of you had fancied, headed in the vague direction of your place when you’d received a well-intentioned text from Mettaton himself. At that point, none of you were to know what was yet to come.

 

GlamBot: Thought you might be tired, so we’re ordering takeout when you get back~ Hope you like Chinese kitten! xoxo

 

Of course Bagsy, despite being a good two feet ahead of you had somehow managed to read the text at the same time you did, sniggering a little at the name Mettaton was listed under. At the time you hadn’t really wanted to leave her, you’d had a good time that day and you were reluctant to let it end. You should have just ended it there, said goodbye and carried on your merry way. The issue was, you sort of wanted her to meet Mettaton and Napsta after finding that they were among some of the few monsters that she hadn’t met yet. You thought that she’d probably get along with the cousins, what with their shared interests in music and fashion.

 

“Hey, do you want to stay for dinner? It’d be cool if you guys got to meet before Christmas.” Oh how wrong you were. It was not cool. Not cool at all.

 

“Sure, I got nothing planned later.” She said it with a decided air of neutrality but you could see the way she lit up like a candle on the inside. You also saw a telltale little give when she pulled out her phone and sent a couple of hurried texts, showing that she likely _had_ got something planned for later but still chose to come with you instead. Probably had something to do with meeting a celebrity.

 

You let Mettaton know she was coming and received a ‘I’ll be on my best behaviour ;)’ in return, which, with the gift of hindsight, should have been your first warning. They’d both seemed a little too okay with it, eager even.

 

The door opened before you were even halfway up the path, revealing Mettaton posing on the other side. Of course.

 

“Hey, you’re dating Paps right?” Bagsy piped up and… oh. Oh no.

 

“Why yes! You must be that friend of his, excellent advice by the way.” The poor man, he had no idea what he was unleashing.

 

“Oh, it was no problem really, anything to make Paps happy, y’know?” you discretely shuffled away from the blast radius under the pretence of walking in and hoped it had gone unnoticed. “Of course, if someone _does_ do anything to hurt him… well, I hear there’s good money in the scrap metal business.”

 

That was… relatively tame. She must have been trying to make a good impression, or she was just lulling him into a false sense of security. You honestly couldn’t tell, which was almost more frightening if you’d been able to figure it out.

 

Mettaton took it in good grace, almost beaming at her with a dazzling, well-oiled smile.

 

“Oh of _course!_ You’d have to be positively _stupid_ to even think about doing something like that, it’d be worse than say, _lacing a humans’ food with poison._ ”  


Abort mission, abort, abortabortabort _abort._

_“LETS ORDER FOOD!”_ you hadn’t planned on half shouting, but it distracted them from their passive aggressive showdown for long enough for you all to order food and for Napstablook to drift in, nervously wedging themselves between you and Mettaton. You silently thanked them for putting that extra distance between you and the other two. Bagsy, rather than sitting on the sofa, was perched on the arm next to Mettaton, using his shoulder spike as an arm rest.

 

Surely the worst of it was over for now, right?

.

.

.

Nope.

 

Napstablook shared an amused look with you when they started bickering over the best shade of pink (“I’m telling you darling, hot pink will never steer you wrong.”, “Come off it dude, that’d play havoc with my skin tone, fushia’s where it’s really at, trust me. Even Frisk rocks it.”), you weren’t 100% sure but you thought that this was some form of bonding experience for the both of them.

 

You slipped away to go change into something that wasn’t your equivalent of nice, something you wouldn’t mind getting food stains down. You got decided on a hoodie and some loose fitting slacks, ignoring the twin looks of horror on both divas faces when they caught sight of what you were wearing. You’d managed to make it back downstairs just as there was a knock on the door. Despite you being the one closest to the door, Mettaton somehow made it there before you. There was a happy looking monster on the other side, bearing several bags of food. Even though the food was still wrapped, you could still smell it. It smelled better than most takeaways, then again, monster food always tended to be that tiny (massive) bit better than human food. There were some witches who were particularly adept at infusing food with magic in the same way monsters did, Muffet had even been so kind as to ask you if that was something you were skilled at after one particularly good batch of cupcakes. You’d practically been glowing with pride when she hadn’t believed you when you’d said no.

 

GrrrrooooOOWWWWLLLL

 

All heads (six of them, if you counted each of the delivery monsters heads separately) snapped towards you.

 

You were going to move abroad, assume an alias. Live your new life as a hermit on the side of a mountain, you didn’t care. You’d rough out a living, eating nothing but root vegetables and raw meat, trading herbs and flowers with the locals in exchange for rags to wear.

 

But first, you were going to _feast_.

 

It was going great, Bagsy was too busy shovelling food into her mouth chipmunk style to do much talking and Mettaton was doing the same with considerably more grace. Napstablook had been elated to discover that ghost food was on the menu, which you suspected was the whole reason why Mettaton had opted for Chinese, whether it was obvious or not, the guy doted on his cousin. It brought a soft, genuine smile whenever you so much as thought about that. Not that Napsta was helpless or anything, far from it. You hadn’t even noticed that you’d been staring right at the ghost in question and spacing out until Bagsy snorted, punching you lightly on the shoulder and brought you out of your reverie.

 

As much as your pride hated to admit it, you had to acknowledge that it was probably better than anything you could cook. That may just have been your hunger talking though. Yeah, that was probably it. You were chowing down on some sweet and sour goodness when _it_ started. The feeling that something absolutely terrible was about to happen. You sat with a forkful of dripping noodles halfway to your mouth for a good thirty seconds before shaking it off, it was a stupid notion. You weren’t Frisk, you didn’t know what the future held. Instead, you focused on cramming as food inside of you as you could, blocking out what was happening around you.

 

(If you had been paying attention you would have seen Napstablook staring at you with a look of pure concern at the sheer amount of food that you were putting away. They didn’t know much about human biology, but they knew that you were eating more than they’d ever seen a human eat before.)

 

“Oh darling, that’s an absolutely wonderful idea!”

 

“Uh, what?” Mettaton gave you a mock scornful look, quickly dissolving into giggles and handing you a paper napkin to wipe the thick coating of sauce off your face.

 

“Why, Bagsy dear suggested we play truth or dare!”

 

Of course she did. Of course Bagsy would elect to play that demon game of ritual torture and of course Mettaton would go along with it. You and Napstablook exchanged what must have been your hundredth look of the evening, a split second of panic before you both bolted in the direction of the stairs. You thought you were gonna make it, being halfway out the door by the time a strong pair of squishy, human arms wrapped round your middle and lifted you clean off your feet.

 

“Oh no you don’t.”

 

Napstablook hesitated upon seeing your capture, getting themselves caught by a pair of non-human, robotic arms in the process. Mettaton hadn’t even moved from where he was sitting, just extended his arms as if that was the normal thing to do.

 

It was at that moment that you truly realised just what a monumental mistake you’d made in allowing Mettaton within a mile radius of Bagsy.

 

“Since you tried to escape, you’re the first to suffer blooky dear.” As if he wasn’t planning on that all along. Bagsy barely even looked put out at him getting there first. They were teaming up against you now. “Truth, or dare?” He purred, leaning forwards on one elbow. Somehow without you noticing the four of you had ended up sitting in a wonky sort of circle around the coffee table, Napstablook on your left, Bagsy on your right and Mettaton opposite you. Half the players looked terrified, half looked smug.

 

“…Truth?” Mettaton grinned like a shark.

 

“Would you smooch a human?” Ha, he’d asked you almost eh exact same- OH GOD NO.

 

Napsta blushed and all but melted into a puddle, uttering so many verbal ellipsis that it would take thirty pages to properly express them.

 

“I…. uh…Maybe… yeah… yes…?” Mettaton squealed, as did Bagsy, the traitor.

 

You were seriously considering that life as a mountain hermit right about then.

 

“Right, you next Kitten, truth or dare?” That was totally not how the rules worked.

 

“That is totally not how the rules work, I do the talking here dude.” Bagsy chided, slapping him lightly and wincing slightly because flesh is squishy and metal is very much not. You were still 90% certain that still wasn’t how the rules worked, but since nobody else objected, you didn’t either.

 

You were accepting of your fate, knowing that it was merely a matter of time and that Bagsy would be enacting the ‘can’t make the same choice twice in a row’ rule that she so loved. Still, you could buy a little time.

 

“Truth.” That earned you a pout. But Bagsy was not one to be put off so easily.

 

“Okay I literally know all your secrets so you just made this is boring but bleh. Most embarrassing good memory?” She smirked at you, the bastard. You tried to scowl back at her but couldn’t quite make it stick.

 

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe that time when you knocked me on my ass and told me to smile more or something.” You rolled your eyes, remembering that day all too clearly.

 

“That day we forged our eternal bond of friendship with the blood of our enemies and the smuggling of our juice boxes you mean?”

 

“We have no idea what the two of you are talking about but it sounds like quite the tale, perhaps you’d like to share it darlings?” Mettaton said it flippantly, but he couldn’t hide the curiosity in his own expression and neither could Napstablook.

 

“Sure but I get to skip my turn if I do.”

 

“Deal.” You all knew you weren’t playing this for making Bagsy suffer.

 

You gave Bagsy a nod, sitting back and listening to her tell the tale. She was a much better storyteller than you, even if she was prone to going off on a tangent every once in a while. You remembered what happened well enough that you hardly had to even listen, instead running through the memories in the privacy of your own mind.

 

_You’d only been there a week and you already knew that you hated it. You hated the constant ache where your new brands were, you hated that you’d been pulled away from the life you knew, you hated that people here accepted you more than your own flesh and blood, but most of all, you hated life itself. You’d been picking fights with the older kids, hoping that one of them would take the bait, that you’d rile them up so bad that they’d completely snap. It hadn’t been working so well for you. How could it, when you refused to just take a beating? Instead you insisted on fighting back, and more often or not, you’d win or the other kid would decide you weren’t worth their time and leave._

_This one was different. She was a couple of years older than you, lean and almost muscular with choppy brown hair and dark tan skin, though given the lack of actual sunlight recently, that may just be her natural skin tone (it was). You might have thought her pretty if it wasn’t for the look on her face. A look of perfect nothing, you couldn’t read her at all, even though you just knew that she was reading you like a book. You’d managed to corner her and another girl who was holding a palette of apple juice cartons (you’d find out later that their name was Jazz and that they weren’t actually a girl, but you hadn’t known that at the time.) outside, well away from any watchful eyes._

_“So, you come here often?” What? Was she flirting at a time like this? This was a fight dammit, What kind of an idiot was she?_

_“Shut up.” You sneered, staring her down. You’d had no interest in talking, but clearly she hadn’t got the memo._

_“Nah. Hey, you okay there squirt? You’re looking a lil under the weather.” You’d felt fine, more than fine. You’d been eager to get it over with, hoping that this girl that nobody ever messed with would finally be the one to break you._

_You refused to answer. You wouldn’t give her the pleasure._

_“Suit yourself then, Chuckles. I’m Bagsy, figure you don’t know me ‘cause you’re picking a fight with the wrong gal. I just make plants grow a tad faster, not what you’re looking for, whatever the hell that is. See, I can defend myself pretty well if I do say so myself, but I’m… guess I’m just more of a pacifist y’know?”_

_(she’d been lying through her teeth about that pacifist thing, if someone messed with her friends, Bagsy would not hesitate to knock them into the next calendar year)_

_You did not know. You did not care. You just wanted your outside to match your inside and just get the shit beaten out of you already. She must have read that on your face because her demeanour softened a touch._

_“Look, it sucks here and I think I’ve been here long enough to be able to tell ya that it doesn’t get better until you make it better.”_

_“And just how the fuck do I do that?” The words left your mouth before you could stop them. Really, what did it matter? Even if what she said was true, you couldn’t care less. You just wanted an out._

_(Later you’d looked back and realised that you’d misdiagnosed yourself. You’d felt like you’d done something wrong, that your existence was something a sin and that you needed to hurt, to be punished. You had been hurting, you just hadn’t seen it at the time. Bagsy had been the one to make you see that as well.)_

_“Well, no matter how bad things get, you just gotta keep smiling. When bad things happen, smile. It probably sounds dumb now, but hey, it means you can creep the hell outta people. C’mon, try it!” You didn’t know why you were even listening, or why you were smiling. It was a strained smile and it felt clunky and unnatural on you._

_“Hey, no laughing!” Bagsy had started giggling, trying to hide it behind her hands and failing miserably._

_“Sorry, sorry!” She looked you up and down for a moment, as if she was contemplating something (she’d actually been spacing out), “Hey, you know that tradition with the names?”_

_“The stupid one where you get a friend to choose a new name for you?” Yeah, because you had people just queuing up to give you a name, duh. Anyway, you were happy enough with your birth name, right? It suited you! (yeah, years down the line, you’d clean forgotten it, much to your frustration.) Bagsy clearly didn’t share your sentiment, rolling her eyes and huffing. Somewhere along the line she’d dropped the neutrality, somewhere along the line you’d stopped itching for a fight, somewhere along the line Jazz had decided they didn’t want to be late to class and wandered off, apple juice and all._

_“No the other one where we sacrifice some kids to a mountain, no duh. So, you want a name or what?”_

_“No.”_

_“How about Surley?”_

_“No!”_

_“Hmmm.” She’d made an exaggerated gesture, tapping her index finger to her cheek and rolling her eyes back like she’d find your name engraved on her eye sockets. “Chuckles?”_

_“Ew.”_

_“Well then, what about Smiler?”_

“Aww, what a lovely story!”

 

“Shut up Mettaton. We’re playing a very serious game here.”

 

You sniggered, surprised to see Bagsy getting embarrassed. That girl really hated compliments with a passion.

 

“Okay now Blooky, truth or dare!” Wait, What about Mettaton? Why didn’t Mettaton have to humiliate himself in some way?

 

“Umm….....”

 

“You can’t choose truth ‘cus you did that last round and the story counts as truth! It’s dare or forfeit.” Bagsy sounded entirely too happy with herself at that. She sat with her legs crossed, leaning forwards and resting her chin on the table. It didn’t look particularly comfortable to you but hey, what did you know?

 

“… Dare then…”

 

“Well, at the risk of sounding uninspired… I think Bagsy here and I should discuss this.”

 

“Kiss?” Bagsy said, innocence dripping from her voice like the sauce from your left over noodles. Oh no. nononono, you knew it. _You knew they were going to do this._

 

“Well, there you have it folks! Blooky, you have to kiss the person on your right!” They were on your left which made you the person on their right… Poor Napstablook, what if they didn’t want to? It didn’t take a genius to figure out what the forfeit was gonna be. 

 

“Okay…” They didn’t exactly sound _against_ the idea. Wow, that was uh… that was something.

 

Oh, well then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaand it's May and still no Christmas chapter. Why? Because i've shifted around the order of the story so much and taken so long to write/ post chapters that i feel like i should apologise. I've changed my plans for the Christmas chapter too (there was gonna be stuff goin down but i'm saving it). I am skipping to Christmas next chapter so no glorious ghost smooches leading on from this one, but hey, mistletoe. 
> 
> Skelenotes:  
> They totally planned that whole thing  
> Bagsy and Mettaton   
> Planned it all  
> Bagsy wasn’t cancelling plans  
> She was texting Mettaton  
> Because they planned it  
> Ha.  
> *tries to slip in a bit of plot, fails*


	27. Merry Christmas pt1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm starting to rewrite the past chapters a little, done chapter 1 so far and i'm working on chapter two, so the wordcount might start rising without any new chapters. I'm just fixing any inconsistencies, typos and mistakes i've made along the way, anyone who's read this far won't have to reread as long as i haven't done anything too horrifically wrong.

You were sulking.

 

It was Christmas day and you were sulking. Why? Because everything sucked, that’s why.

 

Maybe, just _maybe_ you might have been exaggerating, but really, who could blame you? After you’d made the colossal mistake of allowing two of your most over the top friends to meet and a rigged game of truth or dare in which you may or may not have been forced to kiss your friend who you also may or may not have been stoutly ignoring any other feelings for because _really, you’d only known them for a couple of weeks what were you doing stop that with the feelings what happened to the scary witch who lived in an alley when did you get so soft what had you become?_

So maybe you were sulking and in emotional turmoil, but hey, what did that matter when it was 5am on Christmas morning and you were being shaken awake by a robot who was acting as an alarm clock. He was literally making claxon noises. At five in the morning. You’d had earlier starts in your time, but after several consecutive nights of less than stellar sleep, you felt like you were ready to commit a murder if it meant getting a decent night’s rest.

 

“Rise and shine sleepyhead~!” he trilled, unceremoniously scooping you up and carrying you out the room, blanket and all.

 

You forced your tired, groggy mind into action. It was too early for this, who even woke up at 5am? And didn’t you need to get changed before you went anywhere? Where was he taking you?

 

“Now kitten, you may have noticed that blookys’ been a little… absent the last few days,” yes. Yes you had definitely noticed Napstablooks amazing disappearing act. If they hadn’t been texting you and if Mettaton hadn’t been frequently reassuring you that everything was fine (at absolutely no prompting because you had not been constantly badgering him about it at all what do you mean). The only things either of them would say was ‘They’ll be back in time for Christmas’, ‘no there’s nothing wrong’ and ‘kitten please it’s not even been five minutes since you last asked you’re going to burn the dinner please get back in the kitchen let’s not have a repeat of yesterday’.

 

So you were sulking, in emotional turmoil _and_ worried out of your mind. Maybe you’d been acting a little clingy, but could anyone really blame you when you’d been thrown off your rhythm? It wasn’t like you’d just been sitting there pawing at the front door pining for them to come back, you still had you job and your whatever it was you had with the witches to deal with, as well as keeping up with your monster friends (and Frisk, who still would not let up on the pickup lines).

 

And Mettaton was still talking to you.

 

“Well, they won’t be back until later but don’t you worry about that they’re still fine I promise. But… well, today _is_ Christmas and Christmas is a day for family so I took the liberty of inviting the rest of the family and you see, they can be a little… rambunctious. And they may have arrived an hour ago and have been asking after you since they got here.” Mettaton continued to ramble about how his family were lovely really but were just ‘a little enthusiastic’ while you were trying wrap your head around how he could possibly describe anyone else as ’rambunctious’ and if even he was worried about it then what exactly you were about to be let in for. He’d mentioned his family once or twice before, but you couldn’t honestly say that you’d expected to meet them. Not at 5am on Christmas morning anyhow.

 

What you were met with were two training dummies. Well, at least one of them seemed friendly. The other looked at you like it wanted to simultaneously toss you out a third floor window and impale you. You’d had more than enough impaling in the last few months for your tastes, so you smiled what you hoped was a friendly smile at the angry dummy. They just looked angrier, if anything.

 

Mettaton set you down on the sofa, seating himself between you and the angry one and there was no way in hell you could have missed the glare off they had even as tired and grouchy as you were. Mettaton must have won since the irrate one begrudgingly muttered an introduction.

 

“I’m the mad dummy. As in, I was mad to even think coming here was in any way a good idea!” Right. You were just going to let Mettaton deal with that one for now, you really weren’t feeling up to dealing with that angry brand of sarcasm.

 

Mettaton leaned in close, shielding his mouth from the mad dummy’s view with his hand and stage whispered;

 

“You know, this is them on their best behaviour. That means they like you!” then, sitting back up straight and talking louder again, “Oh, and this is training dummy, feel free to talk to them, even if they don’t talk back, they’re a dear really.”

 

Training dummy remained silent and utterly motionless. It was a little unsettling. They seemed friendly at least. You wondered which came first, the body or the name, or if either had another name they’d prefer but you were a little afraid to ask. Mad dummy and Training dummy it was then, since neither of them had objected. You snuggled deeper into your blanket while Mettaton rabbited on about small, mundane things. If you’d been paying attention you’d have realised that he almost seemed to be stalling or buying time, but as it was, you didn’t much care. The air was heavy with anticipation, like the four of you were just waiting for something to happen. You didn’t care, you were snug and warm in your blanket. It was your sanctuary, your cocoon.

 

Yeah, you fell asleep within five minutes. You were tired, okay?

 

You had a funny old dream, you found yourself standing in the middle of a bunch of yellow and red flowers that were swaying gently from side to side, as if they were being blown by a soft breeze that you couldn’t feel. A hauntingly beautiful melody was playing at the edge of your awareness, echoing all around from an unknown source. There was a single beam of blue moonlight filtering down from above, illuminating the flower patch. You’d blinked and then there’d been a pitch black tree there too, right in the middle of the flower patch where you’d just been. Or maybe not, since your surroundings were slightly different than just a moment prior, but you didn’t think to question it, dreams weren’t made for being questioned. You’d had weirder dreams. Not so many included flowers and music, but dreams meant sleep and sleep was always good.

 

Mettaton prodded you awake at some point, the first thing that struck you after you blinked away the last remnants of the dream was that everyone else had fallen deathly silent, including Mettaton. You could hear the sound of the front door opening and you instantly perked up. That was either yet another strange family member or…

 

Mettaton had said that Napstablook would be back in time for Christmas. It was Christmas. It was time.

 

Alphys peeked her head round the door, looking a lot less nervous than usual. More like she was proud or exited actually.

 

“U-uh, hi everyone! I can’t stay long,” she cleared her throat, looking at something behind her before looking back again “but, I uh, s-someone’s here to see you.”

 

Yesssss.

 

Yessssssss

 

Yesssssssssssssssssss.

 

…

 

Wait.

 

Nothing was happening. No one moved. You wanted them to move because you were PUMPED. This must have been what Undyne felt like all the time. A perpetual state of excitement. Another moment passed and you heard Alphys hiss something under her breath. Still nothing. Alphys disappeared back behind the door for a moment, hissing some more.

 

The moment stretched on forever, unending and motionless, your heart stood still and you didn’t dare breathe, like a spell had been cast over the whole room and you were afraid of breaking it but simultaneously waiting with bated breath for it to finally be over. The suspense was killing you.

 

Then, blessedly, something finally happened. Something beautiful, the moment would forever be branded into your memory.

 

Napstablook appeared, finally, after days without seeing them they blessed you with their presence. Then promptly fell flat on their face.  

 

Their very robotic face.

 

Alphys must have pushed them forwards into the room a little _too_ hard for them to slip and fall quite so spectacularly.

 

They straightened up again, brushing themselves down _with the hands they had now_ and smiling shyly, if a robot could blush, no doubt they would have been blushing then. Maybe monsters could blush and they just weren’t, from what you knew they were very different to human made robots.

 

You’d seen the design on paper but boy howdy, the real thing just blew it out the water. The battleship had been sunk. You were going down with the ship because as far as you were concerned you were a goner.

 

Mettaton let out a quiet gasp, mad dummy hummed thoughtfully, training dummy radiated a happy aura, but you? You let out an involuntary sqeal and started bouncing up and down on the spot, surprising yourself more than anyone. You knew you were grinning like an idiot, but your excitement was infectious and soon enough everyone else was looking almost as enthused as you. Even Mad dummy looked less like they wanted to disembowel everyone in in a five-mile radius.

 

Where Mettaton was made for the stage and the spotlight, Napstablook was made for the angels and the heavens. They still had the blue and white colour scheme you remembered and almost all of the details were the same as the initial design, but seeing the real thing was just… wow. Your instant favourite detail had to be the hair, white with a gradual blue colour fade towards the tips and it just looked so _soft._ You weren’t rude enough to insinuate that they had better hair than Mettaton, but if anyone ever asked… Well, hopefully it wouldn’t ever come to that. You didn’t want to start a fight with your uncalled for favouritism.

 

“Oh blooky darling, you look wonderful!” He got up and slung an arm around Napsta’s shoulders, now that they were stood side by side you could see that Napsta was quite a bit shorter than Metta, but still much taller than they had been as a ghost.

 

“You really think so?” They said, voice full of emotion. They sounded hopeful and dazed all at the same time.

 

“Yeah! Wow Napsta, just… wow!” Words were lost on you in that moment.

 

“Sweetheart, I’m simply blown away. Alphys, you’ve really outdone yourself here!”

 

“HEY NO FAIR, HOW COMES YOU TWO GET ALL THE GOOD LOOKS, EH?” That was only one step removed from a compliment.

 

“Mad dear, that’s because we didn’t settle for the first unoccupied corporeal form we came across. No offence training dummy.” Mettaton tsked, families were weird. This one was especially weird but somehow it felt like they’d adopted you, like the stray alley cat Mettaton jokingly compared you to. Mad dummy didn’t answer, instead opting to silently steam while Training dummy remained silent once more. They didn’t seem too bothered by Mettatons comment.

 

It was nearly 7am by the time you all stopped singing the praises of Napstablooks new form and telling Alphys what a great job she’d done in creating it. Not a single ounce of praise was undeserved. You’d decided it was time for breakfast and Napstablook had followed you into the kitchen. They seemed to be enjoying themselves so far, being far more expressive than they were as a ghost. Perhaps that was just a side-effect of having new limbs that they probably hadn’t gotten the chance to get used to yet, ending up flailing them around more. It got especially bad (or good, depending on how you looked at it) when they were excited.

 

Another thing that was different was that they were talking. A lot. The way they spoke, their voice, accent and the flow of their words were still the same but different. It felt like they said more in the few minutes it took you to throw together a light breakfast of premade croissants and pain au chocolat than you’d heard them say in the whole time you’d lived with them. You could hear Mettaton talking in the other room too, the twin streams of chatter were comforting. You could definitely get used to hearing it.

 

A part of you felt guilty for not making their first proper human not ghost food meal something special, but you also didn’t want to overload their senses so soon. They were probably already going to get enough of that what with it being Christmas and all.

 

The two dummies left fairly quickly after you came back in, having only really come round in the first place for Napstablooks big reveal, apparently neither of them really celebrated Christmas. You weren’t even mad at being dragged out of bed so early anymore, the reveal had more than made up for any lingering resentment.

 

Seeing Napstablooks face when they first took a bite of pain au chocolat was akin to a religious experience. It was like showing a puppy a wide open field for the first time. It amazed you how something as simple as breakfast, something you had every single day now, could make someone else so happy. You caught yourself smiling softly, but not before Mettaton had noticed and sent you another one of those winks that could have been a blink for all you knew. He did that a lot, mostly when you and Napstablook were in the same general vicinity.

 

You wished that you could say that you hadn’t known how much you’d missed Napsta until they came back, but that would have been a blatant lie. What you couldn’t have known was going to happen was the curt, almost frosty way they addressed Mettaton. That, combined with the meaningful, loaded glances they kept shooting at each other set you a touch on edge.

 

You probably wouldn’t even have caught any of it if you hadn’t had so much of your attention on Napsta.

 

“Kitten, go get dressed before we all forget to remind you again.” You rolled your eyes and slunk away, grumbling about how he was the one who woke you up too early and didn’t give you time to change to begin with.

 

You threw on a pair of tatty jeans and a Christmas jumper Bagsy had practically forced on you. It was green and looked like part of an elf costume, if elf costumes were knitted sweaters. She’d tried to convince you to get a matching elf hat, complete with oversized ears, but you’d managed to talk her down on that front at least. You could hear the distinctive sounds of the robots talking downstairs and quickly came to realise that you’d been dismissed so that they could talk about something that was either about you, or that they didn’t want you knowing. You couldn’t decide which prospect you dreaded more.

 

You waited until a lull in their conversation before heading back downstairs, not wanting to eavesdrop and hear something you weren’t supposed to hear. Nope, no unnecessary anythings for you!

 

You even made sure to open the door extra slowly under the guise of being embarrassed by your frankly ridiculous ensemble, which wasn’t too far off how you actually felt about it. Mettaton took one look at what you were wearing and did his usual poorly disguised eye roll. He truly did find your wardrobe tragic, it was almost as fun annoying him with it as it was irritating having to handle the occasional inconvenient rip or stain in the wrong place.

 

“… Oh, hello. You’re back.”

 

You looked between the two of them, back then forth then back again for good measure. On stage, Mettaton was an incredible actor and some small measure of that was carried into his everyday life. If he didn’t want to show an emotion, there was a good chance he could put a cap on any body language that would give him away. Napstablook however, was a different story.

 

While Mettaton was doing a good job of looking perfectly fine and dandy, Napstablook looked peeved. If you didn’t know better you’d think that the pair had been arguing. Whatever you’d just missed, you were glad you’d missed it.

 

You sat yourself next to Napsta, finding yourself craving their company after just a few days apart. They didn’t seem to mind, shuffling an inch or two closer to you to sit more comfortably.

 

“So blooky, how are you finding your body so far?” Mettaton smiled, looking perfect as always.

 

“It’s good… I like it…” You grinned and bumped your shoulder against their arm, noting that their shoulder spike things were less prominent than their cousins, they even had a small seam that you only saw because you were so close that suggested that they were detachable. That was pretty neat.

 

It would probably take a lot of getting used to, having already gotten used to the smaller, more spectral Napstablook, but under that new glossy exterior sat the same cute little spook that you’d grown so attached to. You wondered how many times you were going to turn round to say something to their face only to be met with their chest instead.

 

“Okay now darlings, now that we’ve gotten through all the small talk, let’s go over the schedule for the day~” You… did not like the tone of his voice, nor did the manic glint in Mettatons eyes do anything to reassure you at all. You and Napstablook shared look of pure terror, not the first and by no means the last.

 

It was 8am on Christmas morning and you were resigned to your fate.

 

 

 [link to partially finished roblooky art because dammit i can't finish it rn](http://dude-againjustwhy.tumblr.com/image/145321755291)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to have a picture of what i imagine Napsta to look like but my photoshop is suddenly laggy as all heck and i've only managed to get lineart done, if i ever get around to finishing it i'll figure out how to add it in :')
> 
> Skelenotes:  
> It’s Chrostmis where my ghost at  
> Srsly where are they  
> Welcome to Christams  
> I fricking love Shitscram  
> Says I, in june  
> I have been changing the month of that for a while now  
> Half a year late, Good going me  
> I severely underestimated the words I was going to write  
> Srsly I switched around the order of the story so much


	28. Christmas: Naps and naps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rewrote this chapter three times, nearly posted the wrong version, cue me yelling "WRONG CHAPTER KRONK". This was important information that i thought i should share.

So the plan for the day was… something.

 

First, for the remainder of the morning was, as Mettaton put it, phase 1. Phase 1 was the first wave of presents, exchanged between small familial groups within the separate households. Sans, Toriel and Frisk in one group, yourself, Mettaton and Napsta in another and you didn’t quite catch who else was with who. Predictably, after phase 1 came phase 2, lunch with everyone else. Toriel was hosting the traditional Christmas dinner and everyone you knew was invited. Phase 3 was the evening, any last minute surprises or forgotten presents. It was the adults only section of the Christmas festivities, but you had the sneaking suspicion that at least one of the kids would worm their way into being allowed to stay up at least a little longer than planned.

 

A busy, well scheduled day and you still had no idea what was going to happen. Nobody could think to claim that the monsters didn’t keep you on your toes.

 

Phase 2 sounded great to you, as long as you survived long enough to see it. Mettaton had disappeared into an alcove somewhere and started pulling out bag after bag, depositing them in the space he’d cleared on the coffee table almost as soon as you’d all finished breakfast. By the time he was done there were maybe a dozen bags in total, all colour coordinated. Three were green, two were blue, the rest were an array of different colours. You were slightly surprised to note that you weren’t the only one who’d colour coded their gifts.

 

Napstablook pulled you out of the room with more energy than you’d ever come to expect from them (it probably felt like more energy because you were getting groggy and tired again) and you both grabbed your separate stashes of presents. You doubted that yours would even hold a candle to what the others had gotten, but you were on a budget and it was the thought that counted. You were suddenly very much glad that you and Bagsy had caved in and ended up buying some of the things you’d both dismissed at first, if only so that you actually had something to give in phase one. As it was you only had one present for each of them. Bagsy had to help you on the money side of things though, and you would pay her back somehow if you had to break into her house and leave the money there yourself.

 

Next time, you were going to ask someone who wasn’t Mettaton what the plan for the day was.

 

The exchanging of presents was… emotional. The other two were surprised when you started bawling your eyes out before you’d even opened anything, both pulling you into a tight hug and asking what was wrong before you (Tearfully) said that nothing was wrong. You just hadn’t actually expected anyone to get you anything. It was stupid and you knew it, but seeing the pile of gifts was a shock to your system. You’d put so much thought into what to get other people, but had forgotten completely that they’d be doing the same for you. It was Christmas day and for the first time in years, you had people, friends and family, to share it with. People who hadn’t even questioned your presence, who made you feel welcomed in any way they could. Before it had just been you alone, then you and Frisk. You wondered if Frisk was feeling the same way as you were, a cocktail of sentiment and excitement. The little cutie probably woke _themselves_ up at 5am.

 

It was humbling.

 

So were the presents. You were right, what you’d gotten couldn’t hold a torch to what you received. You got the impression that was a universal thing when it came to Christmas though, so you tried not to think on it too much.

 

You’d gotten Mettaton some vocaloid figurines on Alphys’s recommendation, according to her, it was the one thing they could actually bond over other than their mutual interest in the humans. You’d thought that robotic singing idols were and appropriate present for a robotic superstar and if the delighted cooing Mettaton was making was anything to go by then you hadn’t been wrong. You didn’t really know much about vocaloids beyond what Alphys had told you. You’d liked them because you thought that it’d looked cute. You’d asked Bagsy about them while you’d been out shopping just to make sure they weren’t anything weird and after a minute of pretending she hadn’t a clue, Bagsy had busted out her ipod and let you listen to a few songs that she would later deny ownership of. She’d practically foamed at the mouth when you’d found the figures, since apparently they were usually expensive.

 

 In return, from him you’d received…

 

Clothes. A whole lot of clothes, for every occasion and in every colour. Woah. A part of you wanted to run upstairs and carefully pack them all away into your drawer and wardrobe (you had a wardrobe here!!!! No more crumpled up backpack clothes!) but another, more childish part of you wanted to wear as much of it as possible all at once. Which you did. What you couldn’t fit on your body you hugged close to your body (as close as you could with three inches of fabric in the way anyway). By the end of it you thought that you must have looked pretty dumb, not that you could care less, not while you were swaddled and warm in your hoard of clothes. Never mind being the resident adopted stray, you were abandoning that life to become a dragon, sitting upon a hoard of Christmas gifts.

 

“I take it that you like your present then kitten?”

 

You nodded furiously, snuggling deeper into your pile. You were only 19, you could be childish sometimes if you wanted to be. Who cared if Mettaton was laughing at you or if Napsta had just shuffled up beside you and had started trying to pry a shirt from your grip.

 

Maybe hissing at them was a little over the top. And swiping at Napsta may have been pushing it. They giggled and it only then occurred to you that they’d been trying to get a reaction out of you. In retaliation, you opened their gift to you witih a little more vigour than was strictly necessary. Revenge was never really your strong suit.

 

Your jaw dropped when there, sitting in a box in front of you, was an honest to goodness touchscreen mp3 player, one of the monster brands. If you had to hazard a guess, it was probably something to do with Alphys. You tried to say that it was too much, because it really was, especially what you found once you’d turned it on. Somehow, some way, they’d managed to get almost everything you’d had on your old ipod on there, even though your poor beloved device had finally met its end not long after you’d moved in. You’d managed to make do without it, having a resident musician just across the hall at any given time was more than a decent substitute. Any protests were quickly cut off by Mettaton, who enacted an ‘age old’ rule of no take-backs. You added it to the hoard of loot you’d started to amass, upon a soft pillow of fancy clothes. Every few second you’d catch yourself glancing at it, wondering if it’d be rude to go fetch your earphones.

 

Enacting your second act of revenge against the blue and white robot in as many minutes, you flopped sideways into their lap, causing a mini cloth avalanche. The mp3 remained safe with you guarding it. You stayed there in Napstablooks lap for the remainder of the unwrapping, just watching, then, not even two minutes later, sleeping.

 

They were comfortable and warm and you were tired. You tried not to read too much into it.

 

You only woke up for a moment at Napstablook prodding you awake, intent on thanking you for their present. The snail plushes had just called to you, one white with a blue shell and one dark blue with a pink shell. You knew that they used to own a snail farm back in the underground, but had to give it up in order to come to the surface. Mettaton had told you that the farm was still down there, being looked after by their other family members (how the dummies did that you didn’t think to question, having not met them before that morning). You’d gotten Toriel something from the same section, since she also had a strange love of snails.

 

Your choice in gifts earned you the best present you thought you’d be likely to get that day, a tight, almost bruising hug from Napstablook. What an experience it was, their solid arms practically squeezing you half to death. You’d loved it, the warmth they emanated was gentle and strange, nothing like the soft spectral body that you’d gotten used to. It was enough to lull you straight back to sleep almost before you’d even properly woken up again.

 

It was still dark out, mottled grey clouds blocking the Winter sun. It was cold too, which you didn’t discover until after you’d been dragged away from your loot pile and forced down to a more respectable amount of layers. Sure, you knew that phase two involved actually leaving the house and that you’d be getting food out of it, but you’d been happily draped across Napstablook, leeching off their warmth and napping until you’d been tugged awake for the third time that day and told to relinquish your sources of warmth.

 

The worst thing about naps was that you always feel slow and sluggish afterwards, being forced out into the cold really didn’t help with that. If you hadn’t built up such a strong resistance to the cold there was no doubt that you’d be a shivering mess within twenty seconds. At least you didn’t have far to walk, a shiny car sat waiting at the end of the path. From Mettatons to Toriels place couldn’t have been more than a two-minute drive, but those two minutes were pretty awkward. You’d noticed that Napstablook had been ignoring Mettaton all morning, except to thank him for his gift, but it was made more obvious when you were shut in a car with them, sat in the backseat like the child of the family. You kind of wanted one of them to turn on the radio, if only to break the silence.

 

An involuntary squeal left your lips as the car rounded the final corner, all the awkwardness of the short journey forgotten in lieu of seeing the house again. You hadn’t realised how much you’d missed Toriels place until you’d come back, all you wanted was to run up to the doorstep or jump through the window just to see your friends that tiny bit faster. Since neither of those things were socially acceptable, and all you really longed for in life was to be accepted, you refrained from doing either of those things. Instead, you got out of the car at a reasonable pace.

 

Luckily for you, Frisk had zero inhibitions and within seconds of getting out the car, the tiny tyke had wrapped themselves around you. The front door swung dangerously close to slamming shut, but then, lo and behold Papyrus appeared. Within seconds, both you and Mettaton were buried in hugs. Poor Napstablook had to wait for Frisk to disengage themselves from you before they got any hugs, or at least, you’d assumed they would. But with all the grace of a tiny monkey child, they effortlessly stretched across the gap between you and Napsta and pulled their body into the hug.

 

You stayed like that until even you were starting to feel the cold again.

 

“Come on, Mom’s making food!” And with that, you were all promptly dragged inside into the warmth of the house, warm in both atmosphere and temperature.

 

“Oh, there you all are!” Tori greeted you in the hallway, carrying a suspiciously large box. “Go sit in the living room for now, we’re just waiting on Alphys and Undyne and then we’ll get started on dinner.”

 

You beamed up at her, craning your neck a little to do so, then galloped into the living room with Frisk still attached and the others trailing a little behind. You’d had your naps and your Naps (hehe, Napsta), you were now fully charged and filled with Christmas spirit. 

 

“Hey buddy. Long time no see.” Said Sans.

 

“HELLO AGAIN!” Said Papyrus.                  

 

“Boss!” the various children scattered around the room, only most of which you recognised, chorused.

 

“Howdy!” Said the giant goat man.

 

“Oh. Hey smiler.” Said the Bagsy, who was for some reason hanging out inside the giant goat mans shirt while he was still wearing it, while said giant goat man looked remarkably unfazed. For once, you stuck by your resolution not to question things and let it slide.

 

Even if she did look really cute with only her head poking out from over the top of the shirt, just tucked in below the giant goat mans (Asgore’s) chin. Like a kangaroo baby sticking its head out of the mothers pouch.

 

You cast your gaze around the room, counting a total of seven children not including Frisk. That… was a lot. You wanted to go and sit down next to Frisk, but they were surrounded on all sides. Partially because they’d all just launched themselves into a very enthusiastic game of twister and there was no way you were getting involved in that. Everyone else were sat chatting about something you weren’t sure you even wanted to try and follow along with.

 

Instead, you found yourself sat next to Napstablook again. They looked like they felt as awkward as you, with the difference being they were the one being showered in praise for their new body. Which was fine, since you still had your old body and probably would for a long while yet. Napstablook seemed to not know what to do with the praise though.

 

Toriel came in a few minutes later, just as you and Napsta had finished awkwardly staring at the far wall in tandem, raking her eyes across the small crowd. Her gaze hardened a little when she looked at Asgore and softened exponentially when she looked at the knot of brightly coloured children gathered on the twister mat. Eventually her eyes wandered to where you and Napsta were perched.

 

“Oh! Napstablook dear, that is you isn’t it?” they gave a shy nod “Oh goodness, I didn’t even recognise you at first! I am so sorry, after all those years you spent delivering snails you’d have thought that I’d be able to recognise you better than that.” She sounded genuinely distressed. You found it a little funny that she hadn’t questioned their presence otherwise when she’d probably thought was a strange robot in her home and had just decided that they were probably meant to be there. Or something.

 

“…It’s okay, I don’t mind.” You nudged them in what was meant to be an encouraging gesture. Or you tried to nudge them, but failed completely and ended up toppling over and getting a face full of plush carpet and a stomach full of robot leg. Graceful as always.

 

There was a moment of silence as people turned around to view the silly human who had just lost a fight with gravity. You were the first to laugh, before anyone else could join in. Which they did, only after you gave a thumbs up to show you were fine (Still munching on carpet).

 

“HEY, ‘SUP LOSERS. Wait why is everyone laughing?” Undyne walked in with all of her usual bravado, very nearly stepping on you before she noticed you face down on the ground. “Oh. My. God. You are such a dork.” You rolled off Napstablook as delicately as you could manage with limbs that were still trembling with laughter. You may have done a little extra rolling and flailing than was strictly necessary one you were free, only to get rid of the worm of embarrassment squirming around your gut.

 

You looked up at the newcomers. You’d expected to see Undyne and Alphys, not so much Wisp. There was exactly one whole Wisp, just as pale looking and in somehow even stranger clothes than the last time you’d seen him. He actually did a double take when he saw you and it occurred to you that you’d unnerved him somehow, which only made your grin grow wider.

 

“Hi there.” You piped up, holding out a friendly hand. He took it and helped haul you to your feet.

 

“Just the person I was looking for. Can we talk?” He sounded as severe as one of your old tutors, which hadn’t been a good thing back then and you doubted it was now.

 

You nodded, not entirely sure what was going on but going with him anyway. He nodded at Asgore and Bagsy (he didn’t look phased by where Bagsy was sitting in his shirt like a baby in a sling either) then retreated up the stairs as if he practically owned the place. Bagsy, in her own strange way offered you some words of comfort.

 

“HEY! You two should kiss!”

 

A very strange way indeed. Even if the underlying tone of voice she’d used told you that she knew exactly what it was Wisp wanted to talk to you about. You really doubted that it was to kiss Wisp, namely because if there was anybody in that room you wanted to kiss, it wasn’t him. You’d only met him a couple of times and you got the impression he was halfway between worshipping the ground you stood on and flicking holy water at you to keep you away. This had to have been a pre-arranged ambush, seeing as Toriel or Sans hadn’t objected to you both going upstairs without instruction.

 

He brought you into the guest bedroom, the very same room you’d stayed in when you’d first been reunited with Frisk, recovered from the stabbing incident in and slept in every night until you’d moved into Mettatons house. You wondered how much of that he knew.

 

“So.” You muttered, tugging at the sleeve of your Christmas jumper and avoiding eye contact (that had been a scary trap and like hell you were being caught in his eyes again).

 

“So.” He echoed, looking faintly amused. “I feel like I should start this off by saying that this was initially my idea, and that Bagsy only gave her blessing when I bribed her with an éclair from the bakery.” You knew those éclairs; you’d give in to something dubious and vague for one of them too. “So here’s our proposition: We want you to be a more official member of M.net. As in, we want you to help us run it again.”

 

You opened your mouth to protest practically on instinct, but then promptly closed it again, because Wisp hadn’t finished. You could at least hear him out before shooting him down.

 

“Bagsy warned me that you might be reluctant, but please consider this. How much more can you do as one of the leaders compared to being a lone wolf? I handle most of the heavy work myself, Bagsy plays her part and you can play yours. Asgore gave the okay, so we were thinking that you could be our go between, someone who doesn’t answer to us, the humans, or the monsters. You’d be unique.”  


“What’s the catch?” You were sceptical and who could really blame you. Nobody in their right mind would offer something as important as that to a nineteen year old street rat, right?

 

“No catch. I know you’re young, but you’ve had more exposure to the monsters than even Bagsy, and you’ve been doing what you’re doing for years.”

 

“There’s a catch.” You insisted, because there had to be a catch. What he was proposing sounded fine but there had to be more to it. Unless this was his idea of a Christmas present.

 

Wisp sighed, crossing his arms and shifting on the spot. You finally met his eyes. They were just a piercing as you remembered, but they were clear and honest. He wasn’t the type of guy who struck you as a liar. That didn’t mean that you were going to trust him right off the bat.

 

“There really isn’t. Bagsy likes you, you two worked well together in the past and I’ve been doing a little research into what you’ve been doing since you escaped the academy, which was a feat in itself. I’m not saying you have to start right away, we can ease you into it, show you the ropes.” Still no hint of a lie. You were missing something though… something that should have been right in front of you.

 

“But won’t people have to know about my magic?” You’d found your own catch. A pitfall of your own creation and you were on the edge of falling in. You weren’t against the idea of helping out at a higher level, you’d enjoyed it back at the institute and the few times Wisp had called you out may not have been your idea of fun, but you’d been helping. You loved to help, Bagsy used to tease you, saying you were too kind for your own good when you weren’t picking fights. That had been years ago though, things had changed and you were a different person compared to then. 

 

Wisp lost any cool he had in an instant, his sudden enthusiasm catching you offguard. It was like someone flicked a switch.

 

“Are you kidding? Yes. Why wouldn’t you? What you can do is awesome, the monsters will understand. Hell, almost the whole monster population already knows _of_ you, why not let them just know you?”

 

You gaped at him incredulously, just as a peal of laughter sounded from below. He of all people, a fellow witch, should understand, right? He should understand why you’d guarded your secret for so long. Witches like you tended to ‘disappear’, those who didn’t conform or submit to their betters.

 

“Wisp, stop being an insensitive jerk, we’ve been over this.” You just about jumped five feet in the air at Bagsys sudden appearance. And Asgores, since she was still in his shirt. Don’t. Don’t question it, you’re supposed to be stopping questioning these things. Just don’t, you told yourself. Wisp seemed to be having the same mental conversation with himself. “Look, Smiler. You don’t have to do this if you’re not comfortable with it. Just know that the offers there, okay? It’s not a onetime kinda deal.”

 

You already had your answer, tucked down deep between layers of denial and unwanted inhibitions. You’d just been listening to your excuses for too long. Even after how good it had felt to tell Napstablook and Mettaton (and only after you had no other choice), you still denied yourself freedom by not telling your other friends. The people who trusted you wholeheartedly. You’d only ever been holding yourself back. You’d been holding yourself back and it took being cornered by a guy you barely knew in the spare room of your friends (family’s?) home for you to realise it.

 

“I think… I’d actually like to help. If I can.”

 

Three sets of eyes shared a slow blink.

 

“Woah, really?”

 

“Yeah.” Yes, and for once, you were sure of it. If you didn’t agree then and there you might be tempted to chicken out.

 

The first step would be to come clean about the true extent of your magic to the other monsters, if only for your own good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader can’t cope with emotion  
> Falls asleep a lot  
> Napsta is cute  
> Broom broom goes the conveniently placed, never before mentioned car  
> Who drove? Who knows.  
> What’s up with me and describing temperature?  
> It’s not important. Right? Right. Haha.  
> Undyne is there for 3 seconds  
> Ur gonna have to wait for Lap cat to catch up if u wanna kno why Gorey had Bagsy like a joey  
> Wisp: “yo, just… do the thing yo. Just do it. Pls.”  
> You: :/  
> Bagsy: “u don’t gotta”  
> You: “I’M DOING IT ALREADY JEEZ”


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay i've edited the bit i forgot that took maybe three seconds yay

Phase two was still in progress when you all made your way back down to the mayhem that awaited downstairs. Toriel was setting out food on the table and refusing any and all help. You, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, Asgore, Metta and Napsta all offered. You don’t know why you all tried, it wasn’t as if she was more likely to accept help from one of you more than the others. Bagsy kept shooting you little glances and Wisp was literally glued to his phone, which after the fifth obnoxiously melodious chirp Bagsy had snatched straight out of his hands just to turn the sound off. It was just buzzing quietly every few seconds instead.

 

You were trying to ignore Undyne and Alphys, who’d made a game of ‘accidently’ getting caught under any of the three sprigs of mistletoe strung from the ceiling, instead focusing on the much more innocent and infinitely more adorable children. Because children were cute and they were swarming around Bagsy and Asgore (who were still attached and you still weren’t asking) like tiny little bees around a giant hive made of fur and Bagsy and a whole lot of magic.

 

You’d dared to risk a glance towards the food table, only for Toriel to appear from seemingly nowhere but probably actually from the kitchen within a second to shoot you a disappointed look. You hurriedly looked back at the children, just in time to see Frisk pounce on an unsuspecting MK under a mysterious fourth mistletoe. You’d only seen one when you’d first arrived, but the local mistletoe population had been steadily increasing throughout the day. It was just barely past noon, how many there’d end up being by the time for everybody to leave was anyone’s guess. You decided to keep tally.

 

Maybe you were being paranoid about the Mistletoe. You trusted no-one. It was great for couples, sure, but you? Not so much. You’d already had a few close encounters and after that one game of truth or dare you’d rather not take any chances.

 

The blue rabbit girl from what seemed like forever ago but in reality was barely even a few weeks settled herself squarely in your lap, chattering away about where she’d been and how her mother had bought her nicecream last week as well as her school party on the last day. You’d wonder at how she could be so open about her entire life with you but you were fairly sure that was just a monster thing anyway as well as a child thing and it wasn’t like you hadn’t spent time together while you’d been living with Sans and Toriel or like you hadn’t saved her life which had been the thing that’d reunited you with Frisk and ended up with you there, at the party with the rabbit in your lap anyway. It was actually completely logical that she’d trust you so openly, which was a shame because nobody told your emotions that and you were completely floored once again because there was a tiny being who wholeheartedly trusted you. At least you didn’t start crying again this time, in front of everyone else that would have been a little embarrassing. You were perfectly capable of embarrassing yourself through other means.

 

“So where’s my dear sweet Muffet spending Christmas?” Bagsy piped up from her cocoon. You tuned into that conversation as well, still listening to the little rabbit child. Muffet was your new boss and appeared to be on good terms with most of the people there, you’d been wondering where she was spending Christmas.

 

“She’s spending the day Underground with the other monsters who stayed and her pet, Muffin.” Bagsy nodded at Frisk, thanking them for their answer and commenting on how there were now a grand total of seven mistletoes dotted around, proving that you weren’t the only one keeping count. Frisk just shrugged as if it had nothing to do with them. Maybe it didn’t, you hadn’t even seen anyone move. They just kept on appearing.

 

“Yo Boss!” MK appeared. There were a lot of people happening and you were finding it easier to focus on whoever happened to be talking to you rather than trying to keep up with everyone’s shenanigans all at once. For the moment, MK was using you as a human shield from a flying Frisk and a blue bunny was using you as a makeshift chair. Life was good. Bagsy had been joined in her shirt home by a giggling monster child that wouldn’t stop telling bad jokes.

 

Sans and Paps were talking together in the corner, Mettaton hovering nearby (you were willing to bet at least some of the seve- _eight_ mistletoe were courtesy of him). Napsta was sat right there next to you again, listening in on your talk with the rabbit, and now MK.

 

“Boss! Boss! Boss! Guess what?!” MK cackled, jerking his head upwards.

 

Of course.

 

Mistletoe.

 

Total: Nine.

 

That was the true danger of Christmas, you let your guard down for two seconds and bam, mistletoe happens.

 

You leaned forwards and gave the kid a small peck on the cheek, thinking that it could have been so much worse. Just to be safe, you did the same to the rabbit in your lap, letting her run off to join the others right alongside MK (you flinched a little when he faceplanted, you always did). When you looked up again the offending leaves were gone, only for another to have popped up across the room. Someone here was having an all-out war and you were totally oblivious as to who was responsible, too concerned with staying out of the crossfire. You’d only slipped up once and even then, you’d been lucky.

 

You started up talk with Napstablook once again, since the only one they seemed to be actively talking to was you and you’d hardly said a word to them since you’d come back downstairs. They were about as good with large crowds as you were, which wasn’t very good at all really. You thanked them again for their presents and they thanked you for yours, then all things Christmas were forgotten between you two and you ended up on one of the last subjects you’d expected to come up, especially while you were surrounded by practically your whole social circle.

 

“I’m sorry about the other day…” They had their hands folded in their lap, staring intently at them like they were suddenly the most interesting things in the world. Maybe they were to them, since the hands were a new addition their list of bodily parts. 

 

“Uh… What?”

 

They sighed and you winced. You figured that they must have been talking about the game of truth or dare, they’d been acting off ever since and it’d obviously been on their mind. That and it was the only notable occurrence in the last few days other than your nightly laying on the floor contemplating your own existence. You weren’t going to lie; it’d been on your mind too. It’d come at an awkward time and was forcing you to realise feelings you’d otherwise been doing a very good job of ignoring. You were great at ignoring feelings, you’d already had years of practice. But there was one major thing that you couldn’t deny. The ghost was cute. Your favourite kind of cute. So yeah, you’d been thinking about it a lot and you had no idea how you were supposed to feel about the way they were acting around you ever since. You just hadn’t expected them to actually say anything, especially not right then.

 

“I… shouldn’t have let Metta get carried away… sorry…”

 

“If it’s any help, I shouldn’t have let Bagsy get carried away either.” It was true, if they were going to blame themselves for something their cousin was involved in, you could blame yourself for something your friend was equally as involved in. It was only fair.

 

They were looking at you then, really looking at you. You tried to make your smile hold all the emotions you were feeling and obviously doing a very poor job of ignoring, hoping that you weren’t getting anything wrong. You weren’t entirely sure why they were upset, but what mattered was that they were anyway.

 

“But-“ They tried to protest after a moment.

 

“Nope.” No protests allowed.

 

“He only did it because I-“ They stopped themselves short and you found yourself suddenly losing the will to protest their protesting because they sounded like they were on the edge of admitting to something. It was probably cliché to say that your heart skipped a beat, but that’s exactly what you thought happened. Whatever it was they obviously weren’t about to say anytime soon, the opportunity lost completely when Toriel reappeared from the direction of the dining table. You were curious, but not enough that you were going to pester them to figure out what they’d been going to say. Not in front of everyone else.

 

“Food’s ready!” You stayed sat where you were, letting the more… _eager_ monsters stampede towards the now not as guarded as it was previously table. You also kept an eye on the sky, wary of any of the ten mistletoes. You weren’t entirely sure how you were going to avoid them for the whole evening if they kept appearing like they were. Whoever was responsible, you hoped that they’d run out soon. Before something ludicrous like the whole ceiling being covered happened.

 

You were excited about the food though, mistletoe shenanigans aside. Seriously, Toriel hadn’t let anyone so much as look at what she was cooking up the whole time she’d been in the kitchen or setting it all out on the table. Everyone was eager to dig in to what Toriel had made, but you decided that no food was worth getting accidently trampled by hungry monsters.

 

You only got up when the others started trickling back in. There were too many people to eat around the table, so you all ate where you sat. You tried not to cringe when MK faceplanted again, nearly knocking over Frisk who was carrying not only their plate, but his too. Luckily Frisk managed to pull off an impressive twirl and not spill so much as a drop of gravy. They even struck a pose afterwards, much to everyone’s amusement. Mettaton and Papyrus shed a proud tear each in the background. Those two really were meant for each other.

 

Blooky followed half a step behind you, nearly walking into you when you froze in the doorway.

 

Woah.

                                                                                                                                           

Toriel really had gone all out. Even the snails looked and smelled amazing. You still weren’t going to eat them, but they looked great! Anything Toriel made was always divine, she poured her heart and soul into every dish. She hadn’t just stuck to the human classics either, there were a few monster dishes there too. It made sense, You didn’t know what they were called, but they called to you.

 

This was very quickly going to turn into a game of ‘how much monster food can a human eat before the monsters make them stop’. Never had you been so grateful for the fact that monster food wasn’t technically a solid food substance, melting into magic once eaten. Theoretically, you could keep on eating forever, but you weren’t quite sold on the ‘completely disappears’ thing. It still stopped you feeling hungry, but you couldn’t say you remembered ever feeling like you’d overeaten-

 

Less thinking, more eating.

 

You didn’t even care about the thirteen sprigs of mistletoe as you hurried back to your seat with your hard earned prize. You were going to _eat._

 

Once again, you both terrified and amazed everyone with how much you could put away in a short space of time. Frisk was your only major competition, but they were slowed down since they were also helping MK. Despite you being a good five minutes behind the others, you all managed to finish eating at around the same time. The food had been divine, you had actually managed to taste it despite how fast you were eating. You couldn’t even bring yourself to be ashamed when you went up for seconds, along with half of the rest of the population of the room. You took your time with the second helping, not particularly wanting to see if you could make yourself ill or not. Anyone would have thought that cooking for yourself and working in a bakery would help you break the habit of eating like a wild animal, but alas, no change yet in that department. You supposed that you couldn’t expect to just up and drop a habit formed over years in such a short amount of time. You had to make a conscious effort just to eat at a semi normal pace.

 

A hush fell over the room as Toriel and Asgore and by extension, Bagsy, started bickering over who would wash up. You… still weren’t going to ask why she was tucked up in Asgores’ shirt. You weren’t. It wasn’t going to happen and you were just going to accept it for what it was. Absolutely. Because you were going to do the washing up while they were busy arguing. It wasn’t the bad kind of arguing, it was fairly light hearted actually. You got the sense that it would be a fairly long argument, since no one looked anywhere near close to backing down.

 

Sneaking into the kitchen unnoticed was easy enough, the kids were busy with Papyrus and Undyne and everyone else was either doing their own thing or watching the squabble unfold. The only one who’d probably even notice that you’d moved was Napstablook, since Wisp was still glued to his phone and not giving you any creepy stares or pulling you into a witch thing.

 

You were a little surprised to find Sans already in the kitchen, standing by the sink wearing some comically oversized (but perfect for Toriel) washing up gloves. There was already a fairly large collection of plates and stuff sitting on the draining board, you’d arrived too late to be any real help. He was using his magic to speed up the process of washing up, which was understandable, since Toriel (who would inevitably win the argument) could appear at any given moment.

 

You’d unwittingly managed to get caught up in a plot to relieve Toriel of her washing up duties. You could see it so clearly now, Asgore providing the distraction while Sans did the work. You decided to help anyway. Sans had the washing part covered pretty well, but you could dry the plates and cutlery off while he worked.

 

Grabbing a dish from the rack and a nearby cloth earned you a nod of appreciation from the skeleton, the two of you working in silence lest someone hear you and figure out what you were doing. The wrath of the goat mother was a terrible thing indeed, not something you wanted to experience first-hand.

 

The two of you made a decent enough team, though you’d be the first to admit Sans did most of the work before you even got there. The guy didn’t get enough credit, he actually did quite a lot for someone known for being lazy. Between however many jobs, being a surrogate parent/uncle (or ‘dunkle’) figure and who even knew what else, it was no wonder he was tired most of the time. You were still just a tiny bit afraid of the blue magic stuff though. He had first introduced himself by giving you a heart attack, it hadn’t been the worst thing that’s happened to you that week but it was definitely up there in the top three at least. Right under that part where you got stabbed.

 

You really weren’t over the whole getting stabbed thing, not really. But hey, life goes on and you had plates to dry.

 

How you hadn’t gotten caught was a mystery, once everything was put away in its respective places, both you and Sans edged your way back into the other room. Using Asgores bulk to shield you from view was a stroke of genius. Bagsy shot you a double thumbs up and you grinned at her, finding the whole thing disproportionately hilarious. They were just a few plates, it shouldn’t have been as much of a big deal. You settled back into your seat beside Napstablook just in time to see Toriel huff and push past Asgore to get to the kitchen.

 

She came back in not ten seconds later, hands on her hips and red eyes blazing. Her fiery gaze swept across the entire room, looking for likely suspects no doubt. Ha. She looked over at Sans suspiciously, he just shrugged and carried on. When she looked at you, you smiled as innocently as you dared. She was so onto you, she just didn’t have the heart to call you out on it. Instead, she declared that it was time for presents.

 

People leapt into action, Undyne and Papyrus raced straight for the Christmas tree, closely followed by a swarm of children.

 

Asgore headed towards the tree a few seconds after Toriel, only to get caught under mistletoe number thirteen. Bagsy lit up brighter than the Christmas tree, still nestled in his shirt, alone again now the giggling monster child had left in favour of finding presents.

 

Never in your whole nineteen years of living had you seen anyone look as stricken as Asgore did in that moment. Without any warning, all thirteen devil plants simultaneously went up in flames. Bagsy shot Wisp a venomous glare, which you didn’t understand because there were at least three people in the room who were more than capable of setting fire to the things themselves, Wisp had hardly even been paying attention.

 

A sigh of relief swept through the room. You were free. Bagsy just pouted, leaning up and kissing him on the cheek anyway. Everyone except from Undyne, Alphys and Frisk had decided to stick to chaste cheek kisses. It wasn’t like anyone other than you and Wisp were paying attention anymore, he caught your eye and he rolled his eyes with a fond smirk, looking back at his phone again.

 

Not two seconds after the presents were dished out, wrapping paper was sent flying everywhere. Most of it was from the combined enthusiasm of Undyne and Papyrus, who were both loudly exclaiming how much they loved every single gift and were eager to unwrap them all as quickly as possible. They only reigned themselves in when it was the children’s turns to open their gifts.

 

You decided to take your time with your own presents, mostly concentrating on watching the others with their piles of stuff. It gave you more time to contemplate how best to bury yourself again.

 

It appeared that Bagsy was the only one who hadn’t decided to go with colour coding her gifts to everyone, which just made the fact that she’d gone completely overboard with the gift giving all the more obvious. You were happy with your horde. Toriel and Sans had gotten you and the rest of the kids the promise of cinema tickets for after the new year. You really had no problem whatsoever with being included in the children category as far as Toriel was involved, it was sweet. Besides, it meant you got to go to the cinema at some point, that’d be pretty cool. You couldn’t even remember if you’d ever been before.

 

Bagsy got you a stuffed toy rat. You stared at it and its glassy black eyes stared right back. The fur was soft and a nice dark brown colour. It was the last present you’d opened, the only one from her. You looked at it dumbly for a moment until it finally clicked. It… it was a surprisingly thoughtful gift, even if it did bring back memories you tried not to think about too often.

 

Memories of the institute weren’t always the best. Actually, they were some of the worst. That Bagsy had somehow turned one of the most horrific things you could ever remember happening into a sweet present was probably her most impressive achievement to date. Tears prickled behind your closed eyelids and you forced yourself to take a long, deep breath just to beat them back down again.

 

“Do you like it?” she sounded nervous, understandable since she’d just presented you with an extremely emotionally charged gift. You nodded mutely, still not taking your eyes off of the rat. “Oh thank frick I was worried for a second there you looked upset and I thought it was too far-“

 

“Bagsy, it’s fine. I like it, thank you.” You found yourself being pulled into a half hug by an ever-more familiar white and blue robot. When had the tears in your eyes started to fall? You decided then and there that you’d had quite enough of the waterworks for one day, more than enough for the entire month if you were being honest.

 

The others were probably wondering why you were crying over a kids toy. How were they to know that it was a symbol of the one friend you hadn’t been able to save?

 

Rat had been the third member of your trio, albeit an unfortunately temporary one. He’d arrived at the institute after you, had always been pretty vocal about how much he hated the academy and everything it stood for. He’d actually been quite a big part of your lives for a while, until he ran away. You’d followed soon after, the difference being that you hadn’t been caught. You hadn’t been killed either, but hey, you were lucky like that. You supposed that Rat’s death had been the catalyst for so much of what came after. Hell, there was no saying if you’d have even had the guts to run away in the first place if it wasn’t for him.

 

All those nicely repressed memories wrapped up and given to you in a neat little package with a soft toy plush.

 

Frisk, cute little Frisk who hated seeing anyone sad ever for any reason, crawled into your lap and wrapped you up in the tightest hug they could. It didn’t take long for you to be embraced by Toriel too, who’d rushed the scene the moment the first tear fell. You sniffled a couple of times while she rubbed your back and made soothing sounds before pulling yourself back together.

 

A few looks were exchanged, but otherwise nobody mentioned it. You were grateful, if a little miffed as to why exactly Bagsy got you it to begin with. Maybe to show you that she still remembered? Or to make sure you didn’t forget? It seemed like you were just supposed to somehow know, it’d be rude to ask. It could be a bit of both for all you knew.

 

The day seemed to stretch on forever, what with all the happenings that were going down. Christmas, to nobody’s surprise, was a busy time. Between eating, immolating plants, opening presents, eating, socialising, eating and party games, you were all kept busy until well into the afternoon. By the time someone declared it time for ‘phase 3’, you were exhausted. Frisk had insisted that you should join in on every single game they played. This included, but was in no way limited to: 3 rounds of twister, 2 games of tag, 1 slightly terrifying game of pin the tail on the donkey, at least a dozen rounds on the dance mat (Undyne and Papyrus got involved in that one and just wouldn’t stop) and a few monster games that you didn’t really understand but seemed to do pretty okay in anyway.

 

Nobody even asked if you wanted to stay later with the adults, they didn’t have to. Napstablook was in a similar state, completely overwhelmed from all the people and still figuring out the limits of their new body. They escorted you home where it would be just the two of you, since there was no doubt that Mettaton would end up staying round either Toriels or, more likely, Papyruses house. You leaving early would mean that you'd end up missing Bagsy revealing her main gift that you'd worked together to find, but you were genuinely too tired to be able to appreciate it even if you'd chosen to stay. There was no doubt that you'd be bombarded with texts about how it went later on anyway.

 

The thought that it would just be the two of you alone didn’t really bother you. You’d been living together for long enough that it was normal for you now. There was absolutely no weird fluttery feeling going on, not on your life. Not even when, after you both finally arrived, Napstablook pulled you aside and gave you that funny look you’d caught them giving you ever since your slightly oddly timed conversation about a certain unfortunate party game. Nope, note even when they said the four most terrifying words in existence with a tired sigh and all the seriousness that you’d never expected them to have.

 

“We need to talk.”

 

Well, maybe there was a little flutter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> secret last sentence: it could have just been gas
> 
> skelenotes:  
> i went really far off the skelenotes so lets play a game called 'thoughts i had while editing'  
> idk y with the mistletoe  
> when the trope gets E X T R E M E  
> ngl u can imagine who was doing the war  
> i imagine Sans played his part  
> Metta actually didn't tho blooky told him off  
> this was gonna be the chapter that shit goes down but eh i wanna set up the feelings first
> 
> warning: the chapter after this isn't an actual chapter, the actual chapter should be posted within the week. what follows is me explaining a lengthy absence and confirming my continued survival and intent to continue the story.


	30. Not an Actual Chapter I'm Not Joking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> me explaining why i haven't updated while frantically writing the next chapter for three fics simultaneously which should total at least 12k words aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Real life straight up slapped me round the face and long story short i picked up a job that meant that i had hardly any time to myself under the impression that i might be made homeless if i didn't work my ass off. I'm not working now, as of yesterday i stopped working there and now my time is my own until uni starts next month.

I got no writing done these last few weeks because the rota was hell, it was done weekly so planning anything in advance was hellish. some nights i didn't get home until midnight. The one day i thought 'well hey, i have a six hour stretch of time to sit down and write after work!', my four hour shift had been extended to a ten hour shift and i didn't find out until ten minutes before i thought i'd get to leave. That was a fun day. 

I'm leaving a note like this on all my fics but i promise, give me a few days and i'll be back up and running... Hell, without spoliers, these two stories are nearing one of the main events i've been looking forwards to writing since the birth of the series's's's's and i've been itching to get there for months already. I think i said something similar in at least one of the endnotes already anyways but i just really want to get it done but life is stopping me. Stop stopping me life, i want this. I'm guessing that anyone reading this wants this too.

So yeah, the story hasn't been dropped and this chapter will be deleted and replaced with the actual chapter hopefully within the week (on both fics) but i still have real life responsibilities and i'm going to go out on a limb and say that i should probably put them first.

This is me officially apologizing for keeping you all waiting and thanking you for being understanding. I swear, i love you all so much and thank you for reading this far.

See you soon.


End file.
